Terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge.

[DaveShoelace]

Have to say I'm more shocked by my level of desensitisation from events like this than the event itself

This, sadly.

There seem to have been so many in the West since Charlie Hebdo that they all follow a similar pattern - from the attack, the media response, the hashtags and so on - that it's all become routine. It's Europe's version of a mass school shooting in America.

[doubleup]

I can't fathom the end goal, do the extremists seriously believe that they can achieve some sort of global caliphate?

Perhaps it's about time that there was a change in foreign policy. 

The key to ending these attacks is engagement with the wider Islamic community.  But this can't be orchestrated through the spooks and state sponsored agencies, it's got to be bottom up. 

its difficult to do it from the bottom up because so much of the population thinks "islam =bad". one nutter here, or a cell there means the very large majority of law abiding muslim citiens in this country get tarred with the same brush by big segments of our population

Mostly the right wing.  The purpose of these terrorists is primarily to encourage hate and split society.  It is supremely ironic that the right wing are happy to be manipulated into doing exactly what the terrorists want.

 

[DungBeetle]

I hate twitter.  Every time something happens you can almost sense the excitement of people getting to show just how much they care.  No event is too tragic if you get to pontificate on twitter and get some attention.  Ghastly invention for vacant shallow people.

[TightEnd]

Isis claims responsibility for the attack at Westminster - Reuters News Agency.

[nirvana]

I hate twitter.  Every time something happens you can almost sense the excitement of people getting to show just how much they care.  No event is too tragic if you get to pontificate on twitter and get some attention.  Ghastly invention for vacant shallow people.

Yep, something about people wanting to place themselves front and centre of the narrative. Saw a viral thing yesterday with people marking themselves as safe on Facebook.  Yeh mate, you are, you live and work in Towcester but I'm glad all the same

[Graham C]

I hate twitter.  Every time something happens you can almost sense the excitement of people getting to show just how much they care.  No event is too tragic if you get to pontificate on twitter and get some attention.  Ghastly invention for vacant shallow people.

Winds me up too.  It's everywhere.  Kevin Pietersen was running a poll on whether or not the police should be armed, what the hell's it got to do with him?  The ghastly Katie whathername slagging off the Mayor of London, other sports stars bleating on about it.   Someone's already flogging wristbands so we can all show our support.

I'm happy to get my news from the news.  These days too many people jump on bandwagons to get more publicity.

[cambridgealex]

Click to see full-size image.

Shocking stuff. Really shocking. Our society should be ashamed.

Hyphenating "Thank you" pffff.

[TightEnd]

the thing about social media is the news organisations have a race to be first.

so C 4 news report the identity of the killer, turns out he''s in prison, they row back in the same hourly programme

and its endemic. accuracy second, being first is most important

--

another thing, the MP Mr Ellwood who tried to save the life of the policeman. Wonderful stuff, ran towards the drama when told to get away from the area and obviously should be applauded for his actions

i don't need television presenters and celebrities to tweet the picture of his arms on the chest of a dying man though. just far too intrusive.

[Woodsey]

I hate twitter.  Every time something happens you can almost sense the excitement of people getting to show just how much they care.  No event is too tragic if you get to pontificate on twitter and get some attention.  Ghastly invention for vacant shallow people.

Yup spot on. I briefly had an account but got sick of all the sanctimonious twats spouting bollocks!

[tonytats]

I hate twitter.  Every time something happens you can almost sense the excitement of people getting to show just how much they care.  No event is too tragic if you get to pontificate on twitter and get some attention.  Ghastly invention for vacant shallow people.

Ha I couldn't explain why I deleted it ,this explains it perfectly thanks

[4KSuited]

I hate twitter.  Every time something happens you can almost sense the excitement of people getting to show just how much they care.  No event is too tragic if you get to pontificate on twitter and get some attention.  Ghastly invention for vacant shallow people.

Big +1

The genie is out of the lamp, I fear.
Interesting to see that it's only the suspension of major advertisers' money that is forcing Google to do anything at all about its radical content (both end of the spectrum) on YouTube

[AndrewT]

Since the attack we've had:

• Channel 4 naming the attacker as someone who is currently in prison
• The death toll, announced at 5 by the Assistant Commissioner of the Met Police last night, somehow decreases to 4 this morning
• A message generated on an online 'make your own Tube sign' webpage goes viral and is praised in Parliament for summing up the spirit of Londoners

24 hr news channels and social media means the old adage of 'A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on'* is more true than ever.

*Even this phrase has been attributed to everyone from Mark Twain to Winston Churchill and Jonathan Swift = #fakenews everywhere.

[RED-DOG]

Have to say I'm more shocked by my level of desensitisation from events like this than the event itself

This, sadly.

There seem to have been so many in the West since Charlie Hebdo that they all follow a similar pattern - from the attack, the media response, the hashtags and so on - that it's all become routine. It's Europe's version of a mass school shooting in America.

I felt desensitised too until I saw some raw, unedited, uncensored footage of the immediate aftermath.

Too horrible for words. 

[POWWWWWWWW]

Isis claims responsibility for the attack at Westminster - Reuters News Agency.

Find it hard to believe that this is was an attack by a proper ISIS member, maybe a lone supporter but no actual ties to ISIS. Driving down the pavement in broad daylight armed only with a knife has had little planning and is  a very poor way of committing a "terrorist" attack. I could go out my house right now and kill way more people than this guy. ISIS may claim responsibility for stuff like this but it may actually do more harm than good for their cause, especially if they were planning something on London within the next couple of years.

[RickBFA]

I can't fathom the end goal, do the extremists seriously believe that they can achieve some sort of global caliphate?

Perhaps it's about time that there was a change in foreign policy. 

The key to ending these attacks is engagement with the wider Islamic community.  But this can't be orchestrated through the spooks and state sponsored agencies, it's got to be bottom up. 

its difficult to do it from the bottom up because so much of the population thinks "islam =bad". one nutter here, or a cell there means the very large majority of law abiding muslim citiens in this country get tarred with the same brush by big segments of our population

Mostly the right wing.  The purpose of these terrorists is primarily to encourage hate and split society.  It is supremely ironic that the right wing are happy to be manipulated into doing exactly what the terrorists want.

 

I really don't think its that simple. There are segments of all our society that think this. There are plenty of naturally left wing leaning working class people that have exactly the view that "islam = bad".