God Save the Queen, actually.

Optimistic as ever

Reported that 140 ish people are inside the hotel, with 5-12 gunmen apparently and 3 people killed.

Let's hope it ends with minimal casualties.

Optimistic as ever

Yep. And it's just human nature that bad things happening closer to home are going to have a bigger psychological and emotional impact for some even if they haven't even ever been to France. To do something cathartic even if it is just changing a profile pic is entirely rational.

If what had happened in Paris had happened in Sydney instead I really don't think need to emote would have been so strong over here.

Edited by Kermit8 (20 Nov 2015 2.29pm)

Big chest and massive boobs

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Australia is much closer 'psychologically speaking' to the British, than it is physically. The identification with different countries and peoples is largely based on personal relationships and experience, rather than geography. An attack in Australia is likely to be more significant to us, because we share a language, and have a lot of similar cultural reference points. Where as a Russian plane bombed over Egypt less so.

France is very significant to us, because we are directly linked to France (via the Tunnel), and its one of the three cultural focal points of Europe (along with US and Germany) and we have a close relationship, albeit paradoxically to the French (we dis them, they dis us, but when it comes time, we've often fought alongside side them. They're like a sibling - we squabble, but ultimately when the chips are down, we back each other up).

Probably the only the US and Australia really exceeds that (and maybe Canada).

I'd say that if the events of Paris had happened in Germany and Australia, the later would have been a far higher focus in the UK focus.

So when it happens in Beirut, we don't really take too much notice, because in fairness bombs going off in Beirut are considered to be 'common enough'

News is generally driven by the unusual rather than the usual, its the exceptions to the norm that make stories, not the reality of a situation (so muslim terrorism is news).

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
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