dreadful news, saw it once I got to work — was avoiding news this AM on the radio (listening to Wicked soundtrack instead… more fun than news) so was clueless when got to work today. Sorry I missed Mr. Blair’s speech – definitely more respect for him than our head of state over here :P
The atmosphere here (NOT in London, obviously) has been interesting to see as an outsider. People are angry, but not frightened; they’re more pragmatic about it. Not sure if I’m describing this right. Perhaps because of having to deal with terrorist attacks for decades, they are more matter of fact about it, whereas in the States it would be different. People online are offering to forward messages to families, etc., but otherwise you go on with your day. That was reflected to an extent in Blair’s speech, the bit about “It is important that those engaged in terrorism realise that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world…Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilised nations throughout the world.”
Let me say that I don’t like Shrub any more than anyone else does.. but when 9/11 happened he didn’t get a choice.. He wanted to go back to DC immediately and the secret service wouldn’t allow him to land, then they forced him to land in Texas before he could go back to DC..
Mind you, he’s still an idiot.. but unfortunately he was in the air at the time and we don’t give the President much choice when it comes to his safety…
disappeared? you mean he hid :P
dreadful news, saw it once I got to work — was avoiding news this AM on the radio (listening to Wicked soundtrack instead… more fun than news) so was clueless when got to work today. Sorry I missed Mr. Blair’s speech – definitely more respect for him than our head of state over here :P
Well, yeah, that’s exactly what I meant. :)
The atmosphere here (NOT in London, obviously) has been interesting to see as an outsider. People are angry, but not frightened; they’re more pragmatic about it. Not sure if I’m describing this right. Perhaps because of having to deal with terrorist attacks for decades, they are more matter of fact about it, whereas in the States it would be different. People online are offering to forward messages to families, etc., but otherwise you go on with your day. That was reflected to an extent in Blair’s speech, the bit about “It is important that those engaged in terrorism realise that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world…Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilised nations throughout the world.”
Let me say that I don’t like Shrub any more than anyone else does.. but when 9/11 happened he didn’t get a choice.. He wanted to go back to DC immediately and the secret service wouldn’t allow him to land, then they forced him to land in Texas before he could go back to DC..
Mind you, he’s still an idiot.. but unfortunately he was in the air at the time and we don’t give the President much choice when it comes to his safety…