andthennothing.net

Normally terrorists attacks feel so distant. They occur in a distant country and to a people that appears to be so different compared to “us in the West” (at least I think that’s the reason). It’s quite strange that I don’t react in the same way if something happens on the other side of the country and the other side of the earth. I wish I didn’t but unfortunately I do.

The last week there were two attacks that, to me, were very similar—the one in London, and the one in Netanya. I’ve been to London a few times, been at the places of the attacks, and had some coworkers in London at the time of the attack. And I’ve been in Netanya a few days, been at the mall that got attacked (stayed just a few hundered meters from it), and had some friends in Netanya at the time of the attack.

For “normal” wars there are often quick fixes, a few peace treaties, some trade agreements, a “victory” or two, and the war can be all over. But how do you stop terrorism? I don’t believe declaring war on terrorism is the answer, it’s like declaring war on evil. As long as there is oppression, despair, poverty, them vs. us, and so forth, there’ll be terrorism. But I’m clueless of how to make it stop (just as I’m clueless about international politics as you can tell).