NationStates Jolt Archive

Is it just my imagination, or does the reaction (at laest of the US) to the London bombing seem odd?

News coverage I saw earlier today (local time here in Japan) showed a great outflow of sympathy for the UK.

As far as I can recall, the 2002 Bali bombing didn't see people in the US putting up signs at the embassies of Indonesia or Australia saying "We are all Indonesian" or "We are all Auatralian".*

And I can't remember this much concern and sympathy for Madrid last year.

What's different this time around?

Part of its the juxtaposition of these bombings and the celebration of getting the 2012 olympics on Wednesday

becos the yanks cant spell the countries names let alone put together a message of sympathy in the victims language; English is easy.

(And a quick hello from George to all thoose Flemmish people over there in Flemland.) ;)

I think it's partly because of media coverage. The Bali bombing didn't get as much as the London bombings in the US. I also think that it has to do with the fact that Great Britain is a closer ally and more well liked among Americans than Spain.

Not that we were happy about either the Spain or the Bali bombings, but if you don't hear much about a tragedy it's hard to sympathize, and you naturally take it a bit harder when a close friend is hurt than when a friendly aquaintance is hurt.

Is it just my imagination, or does the reaction (at laest of the US) to the London bombing seem odd?

News coverage I saw earlier today (local time here in Japan) showed a great outflow of sympathy for the UK.

As far as I can recall, the 2002 Bali bombing didn't see people in the US putting up signs at the embassies of Indonesia or Australia saying "We are all Indonesian" or "We are all Auatralian".*

And I can't remember this much concern and sympathy for Madrid last year.

What's different this time around?

well you see, we had this little event 4 or so years ago called "9/11". You may or may not be familiar with this. If you arent it is understandable. This may be why we feal sympathy for the Londoners.

Another reason(in my mind) why we gave the UK more sympathy is because we are closer to them than we are with Spain. We have alot of ties between our peoples.


This is only a guess btw.

Well, the Brits are curent US Allies in the War on Terror ...

The Brits got the 2012 Olympics ...

The British Prime Minister was at the opening of the G8 ...

Personally, I have to go with the first option. Why do the Terrorists care about giving aid to Africa, or Global Warming, or the Olympics?

The tragedy occurred in a predominantly white and english-speaking nation.

There is, whether people accept it or not, some form of special link between Britain and the USA. This is more than just linguistic, it is almost a love-hate parent child relationship. London is a city that has some meaning, even if only through films and television to most Americans. Madrid and Bali, on the other hand are places that are exotic and foreign. The people that live in London are people like the Americans themselves, I mean CNN has studios in London. Madrid are Spanish or something aren't they. Yes the American can be sympathetic, but does not identify himself as strongly, and as for Indonesia, well they were people, so we are sorry, but we don't know much more than that.

Does that explain it?

well you see, we had this little event 4 or so years ago called "9/11". You may or may not be familiar with this. If you arent it is understandable.

:rolleyes:

This may be why we feal sympathy for the Londoners.

Another reason(in my mind) why we gave the UK more sympathy is because we are closer to them than we are with Spain. We have alot of ties between our peoples.

Both Spain and Australia* helped the US after 9/11. And especially the Australians are aiding us still now in Iraq.

Both the Bali and Madrid bombings were linked to the same groups as 9/11 and 7/7. Bali and Madrid had many more deaths (five times that of London in the case of Madrid). And both got covered fully on CNN international and the internet. But neither got the same sympathy.

Frankly, it's embarassing.


*Australians were the main target of the Bali bombing - 88 dead. :(

:rolleyes:



Both Spain and Australia* helped the US after 9/11. And especially the Australians are aiding us still now in Iraq.

Both the Bali and Madrid bombings were linked to the same groups as 9/11 and 7/7. Bali and Madrid had many more deaths (five times that of London in the case of Madrid). And both got covered fully on CNN international and the internet. But neither got the same sympathy.

Frankly, it's embarassing.


*Australians were the main target of the Bali bombing - 88 dead. :(
With regard to the Bali bombing, most Americans didn't put two and two together. They saw the news say that a bomb went off in Bali, but they didn't consider the fact that our good Australian friends were the victims and the target of the attack. Blame ignorance of world events, not malice for the lack of public expression of sympathy.

With regards to Madrid, the American people just don't feel as close to Spanish people as they do to British or Australian people. It's like hearing a neighbor has come down with a terrible illness vs. hearing that a family member has come down with the illness. You naturally feel more for the family member.

It doesn't mean that we just don't care.

The tragedy occurred in a predominantly white and english-speaking nation.

hit the nail on the head

Both the Bali and Madrid bombings were linked to the same groups as 9/11 and 7/7. Bali and Madrid had many more deaths (five times that of London in the case of Madrid). And both got covered fully on CNN international and the internet. But neither got the same sympathy.

Frankly, it's embarassing.

*Australians were the main target of the Bali bombing - 88 dead. :(

Well, let's just turn it into a 'My Country Had More Fatalities Than Yours' Competition, then.