Explosions heard at Brussels airport [AP]

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EmperorNapoleon said:
Wow. The nation is under attack and you think it’s okay for our nation’s leader to pretend it isn’t happening for any length of time because he doesn’t think he can leave a room without frightening children? It was one of those critical times when the strong leadership role of the President is required and instead the response was total chaos from the top down.
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Yes, I think it was fine for him to finish the story to the children for 10 minutes. What could he have done in those ten minutes that couldn’t wait?

Same with Obama. Would it have made a difference if he’d skipped the game which was a part of a diplomatic tour? No. (I reiterate that I think his demeanor should have been more subdued.)
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
And Brussels is a yawner for the average American.
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An attack on the capitol of the European Union is a yawner “for the average American”?

That is such a horrible, staggering thing for anyone to say as to be, frankly, unspeakable.

And to say such is the mind of the average American would, truly, be to provoke one to look with disgust on the average American…if one thought such a sentiment actually applied to them.

Fortunately, interacting with intelligent Americans (which I yet assume is synonymous with average Americans) one finds they appreciate and understand the EU, and they give the lie to what you assert.

The sentiment you express should provoke indignation on the part of every reader who is American, since it would be an indictment of them…as it should cause disgust for the rest of us. And as a priest of Europe, I pray for my American confreres who try to help whatever “average American” you are describing. They need help.
 
Don_Ruggero said:
An attack on the capitol of the European Union is a yawner “for the average American”?

That is such a horrible, staggering thing for anyone to say as to be, frankly, unspeakable.

And to say such is the mind of the average American would, truly, be to provoke one to look with disgust on the average American…if one thought such a sentiment actually applied to them.

Fortunately, interacting with intelligent Americans (which I yet assume is synonymous with average Americans) one finds they appreciate and understand the EU, and they give the lie to what you assert.

The sentiment you express should provoke indignation on the part of every reader who is American, since it would be an indictment of them…as it should cause disgust for the rest of us. And as a priest of Europe, I pray for my American confreres who try to help whatever “average American” you are describing. They need help.
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Thank you! 👍 Well said!
 
Micosil said:
:confused: And the Vatican being hit would be a yawner for the average non-Catholic? That is some messed up logic. :eek:
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Well Brussels is hardly the Vatican. However I stand by the characterization. We will see how it trends on Twitter or if college basketball replaces it as a headline this weekend…:rolleyes:

I’m not saying it’s right, just that it is so.
 
I’m far from fond of Tony Blair, but he did say something intelligent recently:

**Tony Blair has warned against “flabby liberalism” and says there needs to be a tougher centre ground approach to issues such as tackling extremism and responding to the refugee crisis.

The former UK prime minister is planning a global project to prevent extremism through education.

But he warns that too often the West can “be made to feel guilty about itself” and fails to make its case.

“We’re in a situation where we have to fight back,” said Mr Blair.**

bbc.com/news/education-35862598
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
Well Brussels is hardly the Vatican. However I stand by the characterization. We will see how it trends on Twitter or if college basketball replaces it as a headline this weekend…:rolleyes:

I’m not saying it’s right, just that it is so.
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However social media and the press may characterize it doesn’t necessarily have any bearing on how morally reprehensible it seems to the average American. 🤷
 
Micosil said:
However social media may characterize it doesn’t necessarily have any bearing on how morally reprehensible it seems to the average American. 🤷
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I think it’s a pretty good gauge. Sadly.

It’s been pretty quiet on Instagram when compared to Paris.

It’s a tragedy of gigantic scale to those affected. But the reality is that it is not something that will be on the forefront for a while. I expect th election candidates will all speak to it. And the news cycle is certainly dominated by it this week. But a month from now no one will really talk of it much. That is the nature of our 24 hour news cycle and tiny attention spans. I’m sure the kardashians will do something soon…
When looking at what Isis has done in the last year or even the last month, and the body count it is not grand.

But my point is not that I think as those others do. But rather, that it is the sad reality we live in. People are ring beheaded. Europe is being invaded. Coupled with our inability to engage in this as an ideological conflict or a religious one and with an increasingly less Christian more secular view of the world in the west, we just don’t quite understand what drives people to shout Allah Akbar and blow themselves up. In a faraway land.
 
I’m guessing there are many Americans who now know that Brussels is the EU’s Capitol who didn’t know it last week.
 
Peter_J said:
I’m guessing there are many Americans who now know that Brussels is the EU’s Capitol who didn’t know it last week.
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That’s probably true. That and it doesn’t matter if you put butter on it, it still tastes awful
 
Brussels death count could have been in HUNDREDS as third ‘MOST POWERFUL’ bomb failed

By Selina Sykes Wed, Mar 23, 2016 Express

BELGIAN prosecutors have said the carnage at Brussels airport could have left hundreds more dead after revealing a third far more powerful bomb failed to detonate.

Suspected chief bomb maker Najim Laachraoui, whose DNA was also found on several explosives used in the Paris attacks, was carrying the “most powerful” bomb in a large bag, Belgian prosecutors have confirmed.

But the lethal explosive failed to detonate after two explosions ripped through Zaventem airport which killed 14 people and left 96 injured.

The bomb was safely deactivated by experts…
 
that is a miracle. I always wonder if they failed to detonate or the person decided at the last moment he didn’t want to blow himself up
afterall.
 
7_Sorrows said:
that is a miracle. I always wonder if they failed to detonate or the person decided at the last moment he didn’t want to blow himself up
afterall.
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I would think that the experts could determine if the detonation was initiated or not.
 
GraceSofia said:
Countries have this right. Kuwait will not grant citizenship to anyone who is Christian and they make no apologies about it. And your last sentence is spot on.
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I did not know that about Kuwait. So that is the kind of government we desperately needed to defend from invasion? Sadly that makes sense given my judgment of US foreign policies true objective.
 
Expatreprocedit said:
Yes, that is a distinction.

Some might argue that addressing an ongoing massive attack would justify upsetting the children. My impression is that Bush just froze up, and I probably should not fault him for that since in his position I might have done the same thing.

Thank you for your response.
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You are entitled to your opinion.

What was Obama’s response upon hearing about the ongoing attack on Benghazi? Do you fault him for it?

George Bush gave up golf in August 2003 after a bomb attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad that killed a top U.N. official.

“I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf,” Bush said. “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them.”

“And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong message,” Bush said.

I think it says a lot about Bush’s character and his respect for the position of President.
 
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