Get Under Your Desks...

England has had quite the past couple days and though I have never been there, I truly enjoy the culture, have friends there now, and anticipate my spending a lengthy amount of time there once my future securs a sufficient living wage to deal with the british pound transfer from the dollar: And so!

Ohhwouiii terrorist attacks. As I tend to do, I soaked in the spectacle of constant coverage of worldly debaucles yesterday once the bombs went off in London town. Mainly because I have a close friend right in London right now working on an architecture contract right in the heart of London. Thankfully, I got an email from in early yesterday assuring me of his safety but mentioning that the bombs had gone off no more than a five minute walk in each direction with the bus bomb hitting a block from his pad. However what was most amazing to me was the ease in both his and what seemed to be the general London public in moving in the wake of the attacks.

In watching CBC (on account of CNN's tendency to make me queezy from visible bias) the reporters were dumbfounded about the comfort and ease in the city post attack. Some reporters said that passers by said they were use to random bombings due to IRA attacks over a decade ago and that the key to passing it by was to simply "keep on with your day", and others were shocked by the attacks and were simply more aware of their environment on their slow commute home. However, because it is important to laugh, I did then switch over to CNN and immediately was drawn into fear from their reporting of headlines like "Echoes of 9/11" and "London Terror".

That American public yet again was rationed its healthy dose of fear food from the leading source in U.S reporting. Despite the fact that a slow commute home, and compassionate motorists aiding stranded tube regulars, CNN managed to drive yet again another chapter in the "How to raise a feared public handbook".

Granted upwards of fifty people died, which is wrong, and that this violence really was directed to the varied ethnic, religious, nationalities that toured London yesterday. However, the people of London were calm in the post trauma, with many people hurt but in no where near the chaotic dispersive fear trap that was the aftermath of the 9.11 attacks.

The communication of the culture of fear in the United States is possibly one of the most interesting and awe inspiring historical tales of hegemonic social control that has ever existed. Panic buttons are a six minute loop report away from turning a whole nation in to a frenzy which can somehow re-establish a national agenda to lock down the streets, and put soldiers and guns at the corners.

My singular and insignificant wishes to London and to families who had loved ones lost, and my open wishes of plea to Americans to stop being so scared of any shadow that moves without stars and stripes waving through it.

*also of very significant UK note, Steven Gerrard has confirmed he will be extending his contract with my much beloved, champions of europe, Liverpool. This ends months upon months of worried speculation that the Reds would be rockless midfield with little hopes of contending in Europe once again. Also, I read today that Liverpool is looking a Portugal's Luis Figo to join the Reds in the middle of the pack, which would add so much portugese dad strength to the team that I started sucking my thumb once I heard the news.

posted by mr. tomas ubik @ Friday, July 08, 2005