Brussels Terrorist Attacks

[mrpercentage]

Terrible. I have the sinking sense that we are slipping into a multinational racial war. I hope it is not as bad as it sounds. Prayers and blessings to Brussels

[marty998]

Such an incredibly stupid act of shit headedness.

So many families will not have loved ones come home tonight.

So sad.

[Polaria]

Current toll : 34 dead, 136 injured.



Unity makes strength - Eendracht maakt macht -  L'union fait la force - Einigkeit macht stark

[former player]

I lived in Brussels for a while.  I used to go to work on a train through Maalbeek and used the airport many times.  A bomb on a rush-hour train at Maalbeek is an attack aimed not just at the Bruxellois but at all those people from around Europe whose work takes them to the various European Union institutions, all of which are served by Maalbeek or by Schumann, the next stop up the line.

When working in London I had colleagues who had been injured by IRA bombs and in the 7/7 bombings.  Now I fear for my former colleagues in Brussels.  It is a sad day.

[Squirrel away]

It was terrible to see this when I turned on the TV this morning.

[tooqk4u22]

Its terrible to say the least and is an unfortunate consequence of having open immigration policies/borders combined with lax or limited integration policies/customs.  France also suffers from this.  Now that the issues are coming home to them they are tightening up and throwing civil liberties out the window....there needs to be a balance somewhere in the middle.

[sleepyguy]

very sad... rip victims.

[Cassie]

The injured toll is now up to 230. So very sad. I have been to Europe 4x's and loved it but it does make me think twice about going again even though there are places I still want to see.

[Christof]

I have been in the US in September 2001 and I still visit the US once or twice a year... Terrorists win if you stop doing what you want even though it's more likely to die from eating fast food than a terrorist attack.

[Cassie]

You are right about the risk. However, the attacks are more frequent in Europe then in the States.

[Christof]

Boston, San Bernadino... and thats just the few recent ones I remember in the US, a single country. Europe is a continent with several dozen countries.

[AZDude]

Its still around twice per year across the continent. Contrast that to plane crashes, which seem to happen at about the same frequency and have even larger death rates. I do not hear anyone saying they will never get on an airplane again.

Facts are facts. Terrorist attacks, even now, are still very unlikely. They are an unfortunate side effect of global wealth inequality and western society's willingness to embrace outsiders. The world sees less and less violence as the years go on, but it will still be a century or so before radical Islam fades into history.

[Kris]

Boston, San Bernadino... and thats just the few recent ones I remember in the US, a single country. Europe is a continent with several dozen countries.

Dylann Roof in South Carolina
Adam Lanza in Sandy Hook
james Holmes in Aurora, CO

I think statistically, you're probably better off in Europe.

[Cassie]

European countries are the size of states here.

[RosieTR]

Boston, San Bernadino... and thats just the few recent ones I remember in the US, a single country. Europe is a continent with several dozen countries.

Dylann Roof in South Carolina
Adam Lanza in Sandy Hook
james Holmes in Aurora, CO

I think statistically, you're probably better off in Europe.

My thought exactly. This is just the tip of the iceberg as there are thousands killed each year in smaller incidents that don't make the news. I figure I could be shot at any time, anywhere, and I live in a decent town in a good region in the US. I would not avoid Europe for fear of terrorist attacks, just as I have not avoided NYC.

That said, of course my heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones. And to all the people in Belgium who have had their sense of normalcy snatched away.

[GuitarStv]

Boston, San Bernadino... and thats just the few recent ones I remember in the US, a single country. Europe is a continent with several dozen countries.

http://www.snopes.com/toddlers-killed-americans-terrorists/

Dylann Roof in South Carolina
Adam Lanza in Sandy Hook
james Holmes in Aurora, CO

I think statistically, you're probably better off in Europe.

My thought exactly. This is just the tip of the iceberg as there are thousands killed each year in smaller incidents that don't make the news. I figure I could be shot at any time, anywhere, and I live in a decent town in a good region in the US. I would not avoid Europe for fear of terrorist attacks, just as I have not avoided NYC.

Heck, terrorists don't come close to the dangers posed by those merciless toddlers in the US.  http://www.snopes.com/toddlers-killed-americans-terrorists/

[hedgefund10]

Boston, San Bernadino... and thats just the few recent ones I remember in the US, a single country. Europe is a continent with several dozen countries.

Dylann Roof in South Carolina
Adam Lanza in Sandy Hook
james Holmes in Aurora, CO

I think statistically, you're probably better off in Europe.

Don't forget this big one

Muslim terrorists on 9/11

[JZinCO]

I really hope this doesn't come out to some childish body count game. I hear Noam Chomksy say the US is the world's biggest terrorist organization simply because the body count was high during the height of US involvement in Iraq. Hell, the Allies killed more than the Axis during WWII so we must be have been worse than the Nazis were.

ugh, the threats we face must not be accounted for by body count. The current probabiltiy of death by terrorism is much lower than it is for say toddlers but it is more important for national priorities to be focused on terrorism because of intent. Intent is why the Allies were morally superior than the Axis and intent is why terrorism actually poses a larger threat even if the body count is lower than deaths from toddlers.  Seriously, think about. Toddlers, or for sake of better analog some other violent offender such as domestic abusers, do not intend to kill millions of people, the relatively minute proportion of violent offenders, terrorists, do. Afterall, if we decide to shift priorities based on the current causes of the body counts, invest less in homeland security, and then terrorists fire off a dirty bomb then those comparative figures get blown out of the water. It just takes one nuclear weapon and then all those 'toddlers are worse than terrorists' comparisons are gone.

[Metric Mouse]

I really hope this doesn't come out to some childish body count game. I hear Noam Chomksy say the US is the world's biggest terrorist organization simply because the body count was high during the height of US involvement in Iraq. Hell, the Allies killed more than the Axis during WWII so we must be have been worse than the Nazis were.

ugh, the threats we face must not be accounted for by body count. The current probabiltiy of death by terrorism is much lower than it is for say toddlers but it is more important for national priorities to be focused on terrorism because of intent. Intent is why the Allies were morally superior than the Axis and intent is why terrorism actually poses a larger threat even if the body count is lower than deaths from toddlers.

Well said. Many posters on here are far too callous when terrible events like these happen.  My heart goes out to the victims and their families.

[Squirrel away]

I just read that they named the suspects from the airport as two brothers, Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who are linked to the November attacks in Paris.

I've been to Brussels quite a few times as my father worked there, it seemed like a very safe place to me at the time.

[lemanfan]

Brussels is not Mogadishu, Europe is still very very safe.  As is the USA, in general.  And large parts of Africa too, actually. Death or mutliation by traffic accidents is still a very much larger risk than terrorist for all of us reading this. 

Don't change your travel plans to western or central Europe because of these attacks, at least not if you wouldn't stop trips to California after the San Bernardino events...

[xclonexclonex]

Every thread I saw on the internet about this terrorist attack has someone posting something about gun violence incidents in the US.

Its almost as if the anti gun folks ever miss an opportunity to let their resentment for America shine through.

[Kris]

Every thread I saw on the internet about this terrorist attack has someone posting something about gun violence incidents in the US.

Its almost as if the anti gun folks ever miss an opportunity to let their resentment for America shine through.

In the context of Americans saying they are afraid to travel to Europe because of terrorism, it is relevant to point out that they are likely more at risk from a mass shooting where they live.

[lemanfan]

Since my message was one of the targeted, let me respond:

I do not resent America, nor do I resent guns in general.


I live in a smallish city Northern Europe.  My main way to get out into the world is to fly to Amsterdam and then on from there.  In the summer of 2014 I decided to take an overseas vacation, and it was a cointoss between going east to Malaysia or west to the USA.  The coin said "go west"... Once on site in Chicago, I saw the news about the malaysian airliner that the russians shut down over eastern Ukraine.  Had the coin turned the other way, I would most probably have been on MH17. 

This past November I got the urge for a weekend trip to a major european city.  Chosing between Berlin, Paris and London, I chose the latter.  I flew out on friday the 13th, and the next morning I woke up to the news of the Paris attacks.  If I'd gone to Paris, I might have tried to get tickets to Eagles of Death Metal - I like their music and live music is one of the reasons to go to a big city.

Neither of these close calls have made me even consider reduced travel because of fear of terrorism.  Of course I select where I go (hence the Mogadishu reference )- but these past events have not made a dent in my confidence that traffic is a far bigger thing to fear than terrorism in Europe. And in the US.

And then the comparison to guns in the US.  The USA has more gun shot deaths than any other civilized country.  Most are not mass shootings in the San Berardino or Newtown style, and a fair share are probably suicides not clearly shown in the statistics - but still, the risk of ending up in the wrong side of a handgun is much larger in the USA than in many other places.

The comparison is very easy to make.  And if gun violence don't stop you in the states, terrorism shouldn't stop you in most parts of Europe. 

Again: I do not resent America, nor do I resent guns in general. I'm actually a member of a gun club where I live, as I appreciate the sport of precision shooting.


Footnote: I do say "most parts" of Europe as there is actually still some kind of warlike sitation in eastern Ukraine (which is in Europe) and some of the turkis/kurd/ISIS situation is currently a bit unstable...

[train_writer]

Chiming in to say that if any mustachian is still lost or stuck in Brussels today, you can knock on our door.

Our shared appartment is open to anyone who needs pizza and a hug.
Our employer opened its headquarters today but closed early, to allow people to get home by car or bicycle or foot.

It was a weird day yesterday, but I am impressed by the Belgian people who were so incredible calm, friendly and nuanced.

[LeRainDrop]

Don't change your travel plans to western or central Europe because of these attacks, at least not if you wouldn't stop trips to California after the San Bernardino events...

I don't know.  One of my good friends is a business consultant for one of the big 3 with specialization in transportation security.  His work has been off the chain dealing with Brussels, and last night he told me and some others, "do not travel to Europe right now [from the United States]."  His statement, especially the manner and tone in which he communicated it, carries a lot of weight for me.  I don't think he meant indefinitely, but rather to just let this settle down for at least a couple weeks.

[Metric Mouse]

Chiming in to say that if any mustachian is still lost or stuck in Brussels today, you can knock on our door.
........
It was a weird day yesterday, but I am impressed by the Belgian people who were so incredible calm, friendly and nuanced.

This is what the terror attacks of the last few years have shown me. People in the countries affected are not divided by these attacks; they stand together and by far the good shines through. It brings out the best in people; it's incredibly powerful to see society stand against the fear with love and compassion.

[Midwest]

Every thread I saw on the internet about this terrorist attack has someone posting something about gun violence incidents in the US.

Its almost as if the anti gun folks ever miss an opportunity to let their resentment for America shine through.

In the context of Americans saying they are afraid to travel to Europe because of terrorism, it is relevant to point out that they are likely more at risk from a mass shooting where they live.

Neither event is very likely to happen to an individual.  The idea of terrorism is fear and they have achieved their goal if we let them.

To our European friends, hope you are safe.

[meghan88]

We're off to France in a few weeks and I have no qualms whatsoever about going.  In fact, we were in France (though not in Paris) during the attacks last November.  Coming back through CDG airport about 10 days later, you'd never know that anything had happened.  Life goes on, as it should.

[Kris]

Every thread I saw on the internet about this terrorist attack has someone posting something about gun violence incidents in the US.

Its almost as if the anti gun folks ever miss an opportunity to let their resentment for America shine through.

In the context of Americans saying they are afraid to travel to Europe because of terrorism, it is relevant to point out that they are likely more at risk from a mass shooting where they live.

Neither event is very likely to happen to an individual.  The idea of terrorism is fear and they have achieved their goal if we let them.

To our European friends, hope you are safe.

Completely agree.  Americans have definitely succumbed to the fear terrorists have hoped to sow.

[Squirrel away]

Chiming in to say that if any mustachian is still lost or stuck in Brussels today, you can knock on our door.

Our shared appartment is open to anyone who needs pizza and a hug.
Our employer opened its headquarters today but closed early, to allow people to get home by car or bicycle or foot.

It was a weird day yesterday, but I am impressed by the Belgian people who were so incredible calm, friendly and nuanced.

Yes, I have also been struck by how well people over there seem to be coping with such awful events.

[marty998]

Every thread I saw on the internet about this terrorist attack has someone posting something about gun violence incidents in the US.

Its almost as if the anti gun folks ever miss an opportunity to let their resentment for America shine through.

In the context of Americans saying they are afraid to travel to Europe because of terrorism, it is relevant to point out that they are likely more at risk from a mass shooting where they live.

Neither event is very likely to happen to an individual.  The idea of terrorism is fear and they have achieved their goal if we let them.

To our European friends, hope you are safe.

Completely agree.  Americans have definitely succumbed to the fear terrorists have hoped to sow.

You only have to look at how many freedoms have been infringed upon via the Patriot Act (and other similar laws enacted in Australia) to know that the terrorists are winning.

We give up our rights in order to keep us safe. What happens when the danger passes? Do all these laws stay in place?

[GuitarStv]

Every thread I saw on the internet about this terrorist attack has someone posting something about gun violence incidents in the US.

Its almost as if the anti gun folks ever miss an opportunity to let their resentment for America shine through.

In the context of Americans saying they are afraid to travel to Europe because of terrorism, it is relevant to point out that they are likely more at risk from a mass shooting where they live.

Neither event is very likely to happen to an individual.  The idea of terrorism is fear and they have achieved their goal if we let them.

To our European friends, hope you are safe.

Completely agree.  Americans have definitely succumbed to the fear terrorists have hoped to sow.

You only have to look at how many freedoms have been infringed upon via the Patriot Act (and other similar laws enacted in Australia) to know that the terrorists are winning.

We give up our rights in order to keep us safe. What happens when the danger passes? Do all these laws stay in place?

The beauty of terrorism is that it has always, and forever shall exist . . . so the danger will never pass.

Many of your rights aren't even given up, they're just taken without any sort of process.  Ask Snowden.

[MMMaybe]

I am headed to Europe next week for a few months. I do not intend to change the way I live because of these assholes.

Europe deserves our support right now. We need to continue doing all the things that we love about the European way of life. Like enjoying the culture, food and just walking around admiring the history. Not sitting inside or living in fear. If we cede our way of life to these destructive forces, we will lose something very special.

Anyway, it seems that bad stuff can happen anywhere, any time. So keep on enjoying every single day :)

[Ralph2]

I just read that they named the suspects from the airport as two brothers, Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who are linked to the November attacks in Paris.

Not to mention the young Mormon missionary Mason Wells, he is either the unluckiest person around or he knows something.
He was in Paris at the bombing there, the Boston marathon bombing and now Brussels.
That's 3 lives used up, only six to go.

Not saying he is involved but someone in authority would have to be looking at him.

[jrhampt]

I was in Europe during these latest attacks (although traveling in Spain/France, not Belgium).  We had just arrived and continued with our full 3-week planned itinerary.  I have been to Brussels before (including the airport that was attacked), and it is a lovely country which I am sorry to see under attack.  Last fall, the Paris attacks occurred just a few days prior to a scheduled trip to Italy, which we did not cancel.  I was in Bangkok when the state department issued travel warnings about a bomb threat there, but did not change my travel plans.  Yes, it is an additional concern, but I would not alter previously made plans to travel.

[Koogie]

I was in Brussels last weekend. The picture is of one of the memorials to those killed in the terror attacks 2 weeks ago. This was outside the Brussels stock exchange.

There are heavily armed soldiers on most street corners in the centre of Brussels, including near most government buildings. Also a lot on the scene in all the main train stations. Much less so in Antwerp.

Never really gave me pause except when standing in really large crowds in the train stations. Outside of the city centre, you'd never even know...