Jim, very well said. Some of my same thoughts. In fact, on a smaller level, our local news is the same if not worse. No matter what the story, they seem to always have a follow-up story with the "Chicago connection". Makes me shut the tv off at that point.

I'm saddened that there is a terrorist attack, and in such a way where there was maximum impact (rush hour commuters).

Plus, you are entitled to your opinion

I was thinking something similar to what Amy said yesterday. Its just like the local NBC affiliate trying to make a connection to local people whenever anything happens anywhere else in the world. WHY? WHY? WHY? Who started this?! Why do they continue it?!

As I said in my last comment, i was extremely disappointed in CNN yesterday and today for focusing on the US reactions/consequences. Total bullshit.

Right on. Arrrggghhh, indeed. I am in total agreement with you. Our media is pathetic. All the viewers who tune in and participate in that melodramatic bullshit can suck it. Talk about missing the point.

This war is wrong on every level. I support our troops, too (I'm an Army mom AND a Proud Liberal), and I think that the best show of support is to bring them home. There is enough tragedy in the world and now we are out there causing more and more of it on a daily basis.

I said earlier today that if George fucking wanker Bush doesn't get impeached soon, my head is going to explode.

I fell asleep with BBCAmerica on Wednesday night and dreamt about terror attacks and Blair and Scotland (which didn't make any sense at the time) and, sadly, woke up to find out it wasn't a dream.

It's strange how the US has usurped all terror attacks as our very own issue isn't it? Because 9/11 wasn't the first thing I thought about with the London attacks. My first thoughts were about how London's seen enough bombings, between the IRA and the WWII blitz, all the way back to the middle ages and beyond, and how sad it was that the people there had to endure another series of pain and death and smoke. People who have nothing to do with the decisions that make these extremists so angry are the ones who have to suffer.

I suppose that as a news service they felt obliged to address the "what about me" people here in the US. But, yeah, watching the media these days I can't help feeling like we're all a bunch of gutless selfish assholes.

And I couldn't help thinking how Blair's speeches contained phrases that were eerily similar to Bushspeak. And what a schmuck our president is for using yet another instance of someone else's death to push his agendas.

I'm right there with you about supporting our troops - we can support the men who follow the orders while vehemently disagreeing with the men who make the orders. And have felt that way ever since talk of invading Iraq began.

*standing ovation*

It was 4 years ago this September. It's unfortunate it didn't make that big of an impression on you.

I was thinking the same thing yesterday. In fact, as early as Thursday morning, after President Bush spoke, a co-worker commented on how Bush made the London bombings all about him and the U.S. As a country we seem to be very ego-centric and it's not very pretty.

My first thoughts when I heard were about the horror those people were going through. I was worried about my friend's British boyfriend who I've never met.

I was just stunned that the news media here was just amazed at how calmly Londoners seemed to be reacting and how they got back to the daily right away. I also felt embarrassed that so many people were concerned about how the bombing affected us rather than how it affected the people actually attacked.

Ron. Dude. Have you heard the phrase "Not everything is about you?" Seriously.

Not everything is about the US or has association with 9/11. Just because there's a bomb involved we don't always have to associate it with the singular external terrorist attack that's taken place here. There have been manymany bombs in London (see my earlier comment) and I don't remember one reference to IRA bombings or the Blitz in London when the World Trade Towers were hit. Not one.

I honestly believe that by plastering the flag on every immobile object and blurting out the pledge of allegiance whenever possible dilutes the true meaning of the symbols and the patriotism it's trying to evoke - sort of the Lenny Bruce school of thought where repeating a nasty word over and over takes away the power of the word.

By playing "Six degrees of 9/11" every chance we get and essentially using the death toll as an emotional choke chain to jerk the public around, we're not only insulting the people who died in both events but looking like complete self-centered jerk-offs in the process.

Noelle, You Rock! Let me add this. The BBC reporting on the most recent bombings made numerous references to the decades long bombing campaign by the IRA ans the Blitz the Nazis waged against London in the two hours of coverage I listened to over the course of Thersday and Friday. I believe the only references I heard in those broadcasts to 911 were 1.) a "man in the street" interview with an american (see original post) and 2.) President Bush talking about how this will prove to the evil doers that the resolve of the good folks of London will be proven to be as strong as his resolve. Now I did paraphrase and take some liberties in describing what the President said but not all of it. He actually did make reference to His resolve, not the resolve of the American people, HIS resolve. I think that Ron Doe may have missed some of the reporting that some of us have seen and heard.

You made some really excellent points J, I whole heartadly agree with them. Having had the benefit of watching the coverage of the bombing here in England, I was in disbelief when the news conference with Bush started up in Scotland. His first remark was how sorry he was, but the second was that HE's told HIS people to be extra vigilent, to make sure it doesn't happen in the U.S. I mean, he wasn't in the U.S. He was in the U.K, commenting to the U.K media (of course, his comment would be heard worldwide) about an event in the U.K. Show some compassion Bush, you can do all you say you will, but for the cameras at least show you have a heart, some sympathy and support. This isn't Bush-bashing anyone, I would say this for Chirac (especially for Chirac!), Putin, Shroeder or Berlusconi except their comments were measured and appropriate.

First of all I think you are an awesome writer! How eloquent.

Also I agree with you completely...and I thought "The tragic events of September eleventh"TM was brilliant.

Bloggers are changing the news, so let's keep that up and speak our minds and from our hearts.

I'm guessing that the people getting on you for not supporting our troops aren't the actual troops, themselves. It's wives, mothers, parents and friends of deployed servicemembers who don't "get" the mind of a soldier and what their commitment and mindset is. Civilians are different than military personnel...by leaps and bounds.

Truth be told...while our troops appreciate the support they do get and are grateful for it, they have a job to do wherever they are and they'll do it, regardless of the level of support.

I don't have to agree with the policies or the administration or the price of tea in China, but I will always support my husband and the commitment he made.

Everyone else is entitled to their opinion...just don't tell me that mine is wrong...LOL.

Oliver: Thanks for your comments and reminding me that I saw a piece on BBC news in which Chirac expressed his sympathy to the nation for the attacks. If Chirac can do that I think I can expect my American President to do the same and leave it at that for a day anyway.

Binsk: Thank you for your comments as usual.

Stacy: Thank you for reminding us that being in the military is a job, and like any other job there are times in your work experience that you have to perform tasks that you might not wish to do and perhaps don't agree with. It is also a very good point you've made about your support of your husband regardless of the policies and government et al.

I would like to propose a change in the terminology that we use when referring to support for our troops here in the future. I think that support doesn't quite meet the standard of what I feel for the men and women who serve in our military. I think that the proper term in both speech and in action should be respect. I respect the work they do and the sacrifices that they and their families make on a daily basis in spite of what I feel about those who dictate the policies that send them into harm's way.

My belief is that our military is in place to protect the BIG ideas of our republic and that is what needs our respect. There are forces both internal and external that are working to dismantle the rights and freedoms that our military serves to protect and we need to respect this noble profession. The beauty of American democracy is the ideal that we always come back to doing what is right for us all.

As a brit I had to make a comment, thank you for standing up and saying this about Bush and how he turned it around to himself. My husband was actually hurt in these bomb blasts in London, and while I was walking around in a bit of shock I was watching the news. I saw one point where Bush said this is a war we will get them. Since where did this say it was a war, it was a bombing attack, we didnt know who had done it. For all we knew it could have been the new IRA. Err personally I think Bush is a twat and this had nothing to do with him, or 9/11. In actual fact they have discovered who did these bombings, it was actually British suicide bombers of muslim descent. How this makes it a George Bush thing I have no idea. This is something we have all learnt to live with in the UK. As someone said we lived with the Blitz, the IRA bombs and threats for 30 years and carried on as normal. Yet Bush gets attacked once and my gods its an atrocity. And I am sorry for those involved. Maybe this man should wake up and smell the coffee, I dread to think how he would be if he had had the number of attacks we as Britains have lived through over the past 60 years.

Sorry I didnt mean to sound offish so if I have offended anyone I am so sorry. Just wanted to put a Brits point across.

Natty, it's good to see there are others in the world who think that the little twat's gone fishing. Thank you very much for your comments here. It is always good to get opinion from someone with your perspective on the situation. I hope your husband has a speedy recovery from his injuries, as well as your FIL.

VERY well said. And I agree so much. As my local Los angeles news so predictably reported "The London Bombings: The Southland Connection" HOW CAN THEY RELATE EVERYTHING TO LA? It drives me nuts.