To wonder how all the people wearing the French flag on FB feel now they've bombed Syria?

[TheHouseOnTheLane]

So..."everyone" popped a French flag on their FB profile in sympathy with Paris.

Now France has shot over there and dropped 20 bombs on ISIS HQ and training centre.

So...people are happily condoning war really.

Why not all change profile pics to a peace sign?

I know ISIS are bad...but as we all say, violence solves nothing. Nothing.

This all boils down to us being involved in a war we had fuck all to do with in the first place

Well, yeah. Unfortunately what's done is done, and we now need to find a way to get out of this bloody fine mess the govt got us into.

Oh don'tAgent I really shouldn't laugh.
It's horrific the whole situation

Can someone behind the 'fight hate with love' message tell me what exactly in this specific situation that actually means

what is it that you intend to do to deal with the rise of ISIS and the tidal waves of death that accompanies them?

I understand that long term change is necessary and that Russia needs to stop supporting Assad etc but how can we allow ISIS to continue to commit the atrocities they commit, not just abroad but also at home, to their own countrymen?

They and any other terrorist groups need to be crushed. Utterly crushed.

And yet no one changed their photo to the Lebanese flag when they detonated 2 bombs just days before Paris. The death toll wasn't as high because one man in a crowd threw himself at the second bomber. How many stories did you see about him the next day?

No it's terrible OP. Do be a love and go over there and put flowers in the ends of their rifles would you? That'll show them the error of their ways and really make them think.

'Look lads, if you can just stop being so damn irresponsible I'm sure we can all be friends'

I'd love to help but I feel my skills are more 'back office'.

Hortonwho

Well I don't know about you, but a picture of Adel Termos is on my fb page as well as the tricolour. Total hero. But I do not mourn the victims in Paris less because I also celebrate his amazing action, or vice versa.

I agree Crazy, but anyone thinking that this can be solved with diplomacy and the normal systems for dealing with escalations in violence is deluded.

These men don't want to talk.

They would be partying in the street if they managed to kill any of us and our children.

I can't believe anybody's actually written 'I know ISIS are bad...but'.

I do hope we're not going to have weeks and weeks of people droning on about what constitute a permissible and right-thinking profile picture, though. I tend towards the view that what I put on my social media profiles is up to ME. These lectures are getting tedious.

I'm quite impressed that OP has managed to combine such pettiness with such grandiose pacifism in one post.

I can't believe anybody's actually written 'I know ISIS are bad...but'.

My thoughts exactly.

how can we allow ISIS to continue to commit the atrocities they commit, not just abroad but also at home, to their own countrymen?

How can we stop them? This issue has gotten way out of control, there are over 2000 people that the government are wanting to talk to within Britain because they believe these people are involved with terrorism, but are still on our streets.

I also read that 700 British citizens have travelled to Syria to join the terrorists, 450 are still there, the rest were allowed back in to this country. When they left for Syria, they should have left any right to return.

I've been refreshing the news on google every hour or so over the past two days, it's very anxiety inducing reading just how bad it really is.

I do think the only way back to any kind of safety is to destroy anyone who gives the government any reason to believe they are part of ISIS or any terror group.

You do realise that ISIS don't live in ISIS land?

That the parts of Syria ISIS occupy are towns and cities with civilians in. People with nowhere else to go.

When France bomb ISIS strongholds, these people will die too.

Are you still ok with that?

I am not saying there are any easy solutions. But this gleefulness is very unpleasant.

As others have said, France have already been involved in bombing Syria. Also, I'm sure this would have been a pre planned strike. Maybe they brought it forward a bit but there still have been weeks of planning involved.

What do you suggest is done about IS? I don't see a problem with bombing their weapons stores and training centres. At least they are legitimate targets, unlike gunning people down in restaurants and concerts.

No, not gleefulness IPity, realism.

Bollocks is it realism from people who couldn't even point to Syria on a map, never mind Raqqa.

Especially when they are the same people who will then be whining about "hordes of migrants".

Lots of assumptions there IPity.

Is it difficult being surrounded by people who aren't as intelligent as you obviously are?

You do realise that ISIS don't live in ISIS land?

I think we all understand that they don't live in Isis land, and excuse me for any misgivings I may have,
But didn't they take control of Raqqa? From my understanding they killed those they could and most others escaped the area?

Isn't that partly how comes there are so many Syrians in Turkey, Greece, and Calais?

I also don't think that many people will be moaning about hoardes of migrants, I for one, will be so glad when the few my town are getting arrive here. There was uproar about it from some in the town when this was announced, but they aren't a representative of the general population. They have suffered so much, and I will be proud to share my hometown with people who are coming here for safety and to start a fresh life for themselves. I bet they'll appreciate the positives of my town far more than I do.. I just hope all relevant checks are done thoroughly before they do arrive.

And as for pointing to a map and finding Syria, or Raqqa- what does that really have to do with it? The inability to know where a country is on the map does not take away the ability to empathise with the destruction of other people's lives at the same people who also threaten to seriously harm not only our country, but those that also surround us.

I hate to say it, but violence is the only way out of this. That's realistic. If you disagree. I am more than happy to pay for your travel and other expenses so you can take the time to point out on the map where Syria is, then specifically where Raqqa is before you go to discuss with them gently, why its so wrong to be beheading, blowing up, shooting and raping people....

#ipitythepontipinesforMP

Would you like a pointing-at-a-map contest Pity? Would you feel better then? Are we allowed some gallows humour about the astonishingly PollyAnnaish OP if we prove we are cartographically responsible? How about a quick quiz to prove we all understand the background and politics too?

Especially when they are the same people who will then be whining about "hordes of migrants".

You might want to AS everyone on the thread as part of your ethical audit. I really don't think there are too many 'hordes of migrants' merchants here.

If you calm down, Pity you might see what it is in the OP that some of us are being darkly sarcastic in response to. To wit; the upbraiding the OP is dishing out to those displaying solidarity with the entirely innocent residents of Paris.

Unreasonable " From my understanding they killed those they could and most others escaped the area? "

Your understanding is wrong. There are still plenty of civilians in ISIS-controlled areas.

"And as for pointing to a map and finding Syria, or Raqqa- what does that really have to do with it?"

Because it means you make erroneous statements like the one I've just highlighted.

Because if you really can't even be bothered to find out basic geographical facts about a place, you probably shouldn't be spouting off about what should happen there.

Agent -it's difficult having family in Syria. It's difficult explaining to my daughter why we can't visit. It's difficult knowing that all the things I enjoy, they can't. It's difficult knowing the conditions they have to live under. It's difficult when they tell you that their life feels like they are waiting to die and you realise they said that 3 years ago and nothing has changed. It's difficult that there is no way out for them now. All those things are difficult.

The whole thing is futile - it's actually pretty fucking depressing.

Why is mankind (and I do mean mankind; not humankind) so incredibly violent?? Where have we gone wrong?

I may have been wrong about there being civilians there, but I've not read anything about the amount of civilians left in the area.... I did say I may be wrong.

But I think that you saying because we don't know where it is on the map means we shouldn't say anything, feel a certain way is bollocks! Geographical facts have fuck all to do with this. We're talking about terrorism, not earthquakes.
However, I will stand by what I said.
In the news it says no civilians were harmed, they bombed their training centres, not the whole of Syria- or Raqqa. We can only judge off the information we find. If civilians are harmed then that is awful. Our governments have no more right to harm them than the terrorists do, in fact we become the terrorists if our weapons harm them, on their soil when they were not a part of this mess. But that isn't the case from the information we have been given via the news.

Good for them.

I also support France exterminating cockroaches from their restaurants.

Just saying.

"What do you suggest is done about IS?"
I genuinely don't know the answer to this, but I think it's been proved fairly emphatically that "bomb harder" doesn't work.

Oh I get it, ISIS just need to see how much 'we' don't like violence, how sad it makes us and they'll go back to their little Caliphate and only kill and enslave people there they don't like.
Yes, that'll do it nicely.

I live in the Middle East, I know where Syria is, I know plenty of Muslims, I also know ISIS are nothing to do with them. Same as the Klan are nothing to do with Christians.
ISIS are a bunch of lunatics who will only be stopped by being wiped of the face of the earth. If I, or anyone I know, end up caught in the crossfire, then it's tragic, but the real tragedy will be doing nothing and seeing ISIS take over the world like a cancer.