NationStates Jolt Archive

I live in the U.S. and have never been outside the country, so why did it take London to "hit close to home" for me?

Are we supposed to tell you?

One rather unpopular possibility was that somewhere in your subconscious you thought the Americans deserved it more than the Londoners? That they (the Londoners) were somehow more innocent?

DISCLAIMER: This is not what I think about the matter! Do not attack me for it, I am merely putting one possible explanation out there.

Because asides from the irish, when was the last time outside of a formal declaration of war someone attacked the brits? On the other hand, America does piss a lot more people off, not that that's a bad thing.

Another possibility is that the London Attacks were not as severe and so more casultaties are shown.
I'm not trivising the other attacks, but all a lot of people saw of the Twin Towers and Madrid attacks was the planes hitting, rubble and ambulances. However with the London attacks, there was a lot more recognisbility. You could see that guy hobble with sharpnel wounds, you could see the bus ripped in half and passangers dazed and injured nearby.

You probably care less about 9/11 because "America deserved it".

However with the London attacks, there was a lot more recognisbility. You could see that guy hobble with sharpnel wounds, you could see the bus ripped in half and passangers dazed and injured nearby.
You used to see that almost every day in Israel...and yet nobody really gave a shit.

I think probably for two reasons:

1. You may have thought America kinda deserved it as most of the world did.

2. England is internationally viewed as the more sane of the countries, kind of hovering above all the others like a mother might. And possibly, Americans still kind of see England as the mother country.

First off, wow to the REALLY unintellectual responses.

Second, if it's that important to you, either figure it on your own or see a professional. We can't read minds, and by the looks of this thread, we can't think beyond our own little world that we think applies to everything.

England is internationally viewed as the more sane of the countries, kind of hovering above all the others like a mother might. And possibly, Americans still kind of see England as the mother country.
I would argue against point number 2...

Then do so. From the mindset of most people around here (I'm in SoCal), there's some view of england as the country above others.

This is my first post regarding the London bombing and I would like to express my condolences to anyone involved. I also extend condolences to those who suffered as a result of Sept, 11, 2001 and the attack on Spain and hope that people do not misinterpret what I have to say as an attempt to be inflamatory.

For me, the attack on September 11, 2001 did not come as much of a shock. The subsequent attacks on Spain and London came as even less of a shock, and I suspect terrorist attacks will continue to plague other countries all over the world. The reason why I don't find these attacks shocking and why some of you may find this and future attacks so unnerving, is because, despite their claims, the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan have done little to make the world safe from terrorists. This is not to say that I don't think terrorism should go uncheck. I simply think the manner in which they are going about it is ineffective.

I would argue against point number 2...
Something I referred to.

England as my mother country? Sorry, but in California it goes:
1. America
2. California (might as well be a country)
3. Mexico
4. Spanish
5. AND THEN we have England

Then do so. From the mindset of most people around here (I'm in SoCal), there's some view of england as the country above others.
Uh-huh. Show a fellow So Cal guy what your talking about.

...england as the country above others.
I can't speak for anyone other than me, and I certainly don't.
But this sounds a lot like baseless nationalism to me.

I can't speak for anyone other than me, and I certainly don't.
But this sounds a lot like baseless nationalism to me.
Certainly spoke for me.

In the civilized discussions we have around here (There really aren't very many, but we do have some), most people I've talked to seem to think of england the way I've described it. have to agree a lot of them consider California almost as an independent country but think of England higher than the US. Maybe it's just because they see the flaws in America and not in England but that's their opinion. I myself don't really have one as i'm sure I don't really know enough about either the US or England to compare them. Anyways, to answer you Colodia, people around me revere England more than the US. But I'm sad to admit those "people" I'm referring to don't really know anymore than I do, which isn't much.

In the civilized discussions we have around here (There really aren't very many, but we do have some), most people I've talked to seem to think of england the way I've described it. have to agree a lot of them consider California almost as an independent country but think of England higher than the US. Maybe it's just because they see the flaws in America and not in England but that's their opinion. I myself don't really have one as i'm sure I don't really know enough about either the US or England to compare them. Anyways, to answer you Colodia, people around me revere England more than the US. But I'm sad to admit those "people" I'm referring to don't really know anymore than I do, which isn't much.
So what your saying is...you don't talk to regular Southern Californians much, huh?

No, I'm admitting the fact that I and the others I talk to aren't very informed. What most would consider the useless teens

No, I'm admitting the fact that I and the others I talk to aren't very informed. What most would consider the useless teens
So you agree that Southern Californians DO NOT view England as the mother land, the higher land, the land above the U.S., the land above California, and the original land?

EDIT: You really should know that I'm 15.

Ok uhh...guys your kinda Hi-Jacking the whole point of this thread. Its not to argue about who is the mother land or...who thinks who is the mother land.

I'm saying that the majority of Californians I know do. As fo your age, does that really matter? From what I've seen (the few posts I've made and those I've read), you seem to know what you're talking about most of the time. Others such as me, really don't know that much because we haven't researched into it or even truly debated it.

I think it could be because:
a) You now know that a major terrorist attack on a first world nation is now no longer only a one off chance
b) They are taking the offencive
c) You've been able to worry about Sept 11 happening again and something like it happened
d) If you had a similar reaction as I did to 9/11 you were probably too astonished for you to realise how it impacted you

Am I on ball?

because america commited massive atrocities worldwide. britain has at least some good intentions in iraq, so we view them as more civil, and less deserving of an attack on them.

I live in London, I was travelling to work when the attacks happened.

I must say it isn't a surprise to me at all. London is used to it.

Unfortunately life is just like this. I know from when and where I grew up that London will always make an appealing target for terrorists be they IRA or whoever. I also know that the British people have seen it before, Londoners have seen it before, and we are not easily scared. Life goes on, we go on. Travelled to work this morning as usual on the train to Waterloo and then the tube.


Why did this bring it home to you more than September the 11th? Who knows?

Please don't start building this up as a big thing though, or even giving it a "name" like "9/11" or "7/7". That just lends undue worth to the attacks. (Though at least 7/7 is pallindromic so there would be no confusion about us doing Day/Month and USA doing Month/Day) :)

More people die on the roads every day than were killed in this attack. Ignore it and get on with life, that is what we Londoners will do.