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.

How do you know that the people (or at least some of them) are not "doing something more active" as well as displaying their compassion for the French people ?

Scatterthenuns, so what would you suggest? Not using oil on mass for aa day across all western countries?

I suppose it depends to the degree that you care doesn't it scatter? No, most people don't care enough to join assads resistance or... Well what else could you do to show how much you cared? Change.gov petition?

There is nothing wrong with caring to different degrees is there?

"She's working out her next platitude"

Too true LittleBearPad

Unfortunately, these people speak in the language of violence, it's the only currency they understand.

How did we get rid of nazism? Not with peace talks.

I have no objection to continuing bombing ISIS bases. I think there isn't an alternative right now. It should be one of a number of measures.
The French flag - I think anything that raises the profile of what is going on in the ME is a good thing - this debate is a good thing.
After the chemical attack on civilians (arguably) committed by the Assad regime lots of people were up in arms that we weren't bombing the government troops - thankfully we didn't cos we would have been supporting ISIS....think about that.
Blair (and Bush) are war criminals - what happened in Iraq is unforgivable -how fucking dare we interfere like that...and this is partly a result of that.
But before that the US were backing Sadam against Iran, they backed the Taliban against the Russians in Afghanistan ... they are backing the Israelis in Palestine... look at the state of Libya.
On one hand we can't morally stand by and watch civilians suffer - as they are doing under ISIS (and were under the Taliban) ...but once we (the West) have done our best to sort out this mess we have helped create lets hope we have learnt to keep out of other countries affairs ...no arms support, no financial support.
We have to cut off their revenue - stop their oil revenue - they were paying their soldiers way more than they could hope to ever earn - I'm sure I read a little while back they were being forced to cut the wages (so something is working there) and soldiers were deserting. But that won't help with the extremists - the ones who truly believe. (Who seem to be being recruited from the West ...)
We have to win hearts and minds - so put pressure on Israel (and Palestine) to come to an agreement (again it is the extremists (Jewish and Muslim) that are causing the problems there -not the ordinary people).
(I would also really love to see Blair and Bush on trial - think that would really help but doubt that is going to happen)

No ivykaty, I actually work very closely with the oil sector and visit Saudi Arabia often. I'm certainly not suggesting we give up oil.

Here is a handy list of things you can do to actively support victims in Paris, rather than mindlessly changing a photograph and contributing to the XXXX number of people 'showing support' but doing precisely fuck all.

www.bustle.com/articles/123798-how-to-help-the-paris-attack-victims-show-your-support-no-matter-where-you-are

Something had to be done, but what? I don't know.

I am in two minds about the bombings. I am not sure the you bomb us so we bomb you etc, etc is the right way. These revenge bombings don't solve the problem, I think it just goes on and on. Where would it end? Meanwhile innocent people are wrapped up in it.

so what would you suggest? Not using oil on mass for aa day across all western countries?
Well, every individual could start by not using his or her car. Not just for a day, but for as long as it takes. Not flying anywhere for holidays. Not saying 'can you learn to drive?' in response to every alternate post on Mumsnet. Challenging people who say 'I couldn't be in a relationship with a man who doesn't drive.' If 'we' want things to change, 'we' have to start with our own actions. ( I don't drive, btw.)

Have to go offline now, will try to check back later.

If I was French I think I'd prefer to see a list of tricolore profile pictures than a well-constructed argument about the myriad of injustices in the world.

That's why I changed my picture.

And I expect people on Facebook have changed their photos because they are appalled by the killing of innocent people whose day to day lives so closely resemble their own. It is easier to imagine suffering when it's close to home. That might be wrong but it's true.

Scatter who says donating to a list of charities will help the Paris victims? Some random website?

These "right on" threads always contain lots of complaints about how we shouldn't bomb them but never give any proposals of a better way to tackle the situation. Perhaps the terrorists are just misunderstood, confused youngsters and we should "love bomb" them a la Kids Compnay instead?

I'd like to see Blair and Bush on trial too. It's these sort of cop outs that make us hypocritical as a society, and brings the scorn and disgust of others down on us.

We supply ISIS with arms, and then complain when they use them against us.

There are some very very bad people about who will do a bit of this here, and a bit of that there, creatin a general feeling of disgruntlement, and then there's an uprising, and the very very bad people are happy because they have created a need for their product, the arms they can now sell. And those people aren't ISIS. They're European.

Hardly alice.

The French Red Cross have deployed 340 to support survivors in pop up aid facilities. I am incredibly happy to be supporting them with my money during this time.

I know ISIS are bad...but as we all say, violence solves nothing. Nothing.
Wrong, to ignore it and let their barbarism continue would solve nothing. To turn your back on innocent people being slaughtered solves nothing.
The ONLY way to stop them is to kill them, there is no other way. Killing is the only thing they understand, they are not going to stop, they glory in killing. (and in the most gory way they can).
What do you propose we should do?

I think we should carpet bomb all ISIS controlled areas with LSD.

Nobody would be killed, everyone would be happy and chilled out.

If the exercise could be repeated enough times, eventually they would all eventually forget what they were fighting about.

It is so, so easy to brainwash people - particularly impressionable, bored young men. Violence might take some of them out, but there is a never ending supply of new recruits.

*Don't you find the timing of these attacks concerning?

The official line is that they were attacks that were coming anyway, planned far in advance bla bla bla. My arse they were.*

France started bombing ISIS months ago , you muppet!

TheHouseOnTheLane

I have done nothing to any profile of mine but by doing this people are not condoning war, they are a mark of respect/rememberance for the 129 people that were MURDERED!
So please don't criticise the people who are showing respect.
Had one of your loved ones been murdered like this I'm sure that you would wish that people showed some respect!

(This is my polite answer)

jux I think Blair being elected as a middle east peace envoy must have been like a slap in the face to some people in that region.
He has resigned now after 8 yrs of doing absolutely nothing useful.
And we didn't even have the understanding and empathy with the region to sack him...it makes me almost want to weep with shame that I am, by my nationality, associated with that.

I am as pacifist as they come.

I wish bombing wasn't the answer... but I'm not naive enough to think that we have any other option right now. It saddens me, it leaves me wrestling with my own thoughts morally and ethically, but if this is the only solution to prevent more innocent civilian deaths, then that's the way it has to be.

I changed my profile as I have a couple of friends in France and wanted them to see my support.

As for the bombings, I obviously feel compassion for any innocents caught up in it but hopefully the bombings stopped as least some ISIS members. ISIS on the other hand actually targeted innocent people so that is the difference and that why I say BON.

I don't like passive social media campaigning. It is attention seeking by the sharer and ineffective
If you actually cared, you'd be doing something more active and real world than posting a status or updating a photo

I hate crap like this - you know it's possible to do BOTH

how sneery

TheHouseOnTheLane you are seriously, seriously, seriously deluded!

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

Really??????? So what WILL solve it? Peace Talks? An Olive Branch? Turning a 'blind eye' to it all?

Step out of the fairytale, cotton candy, sun-shining, rainbow, unicorn infested little world and please, step back into reality!

ISIS are sick, warped monsters who walk this earth with the sole intention of KILLING everyone who doesn't live by their ideology. Peace talks isn't in their vocabulary or in their tiny little brains and is therefore futile.

ISIS need to be wiped from the planet. As someone stated, they are a cancer. They will spread, and like being reported, seemingly and predictably travelling on the backs of true refugees and infiltrate our cultures, communities and WILL increase in size and strength. Violence is the ONLY thing they understand. I applaud the French for fighting back; for showing ISIS that they will not back down and be beaten and they WILL fight for what is right - the freedom of ALL people no matter what their religion, culture or ethnic status is.

ISIS make the Taliband look like rabbits.

What MATTERS is who is Funding ISIS and who is Arming them.
The West sells Arms to this part of the world in bucketloads.
We are reliant re Oil with Saudi who seem to be funding them.

Cut that off (or at least reduce it drastically) and you can hugely lessen the impact of any group of extremists. ISIS is the current mob but if they are destroyed another mob will raise it's head and must not be allowed to gain the oxygen it needs.

I agree that supporting local non-ISIS / extremist people, 'on the ground' seems like a good idea. But 'we' once thought Saddam Hussein was 'a good idea' (or the 'least worst option' anyway) and look how that ended.

The West has been involved in inter-clan / inter-'religious' fighting in the middle east for a 100 years now, on and off. It has solved nothing and been very expensive for us in terms of both finance and lives lost. I honestly don't think we have left any country 'improved'?

Whether we 'finish off' ISIS and then apply the ideas above, or wait for them to 'blow themselves out' I don't know.