more Bali bombs The usual indonesian chaos is issued after the 2nd bombings in 3 years on the tourist island of bali. death toll so far is 26. Fingers crossed there wasn't a holiday at my old school otherwise half of the student body will be over in that area. this is what worries me...how often are terrorists activities 'random'. The president doesnt have a clue what he is talking about, 'random public places' that just so happen to be in some of the busiest areas of Bali which are full of tourists. Thats certainly not random, neither were the 9/11, or london bombings, or the previous bali bombings. The largest problem, which does not seem to be mentioned here, is the impact on Bali's tourist industry. It was already practically non-existant after the first bombs three years ago and was only just starting to slowly recover. Bali is reliant on it's tourist industry, who knows how badly this could damage the island. bob says it all... edit to add another interesiting site
because if it was a bomb....it would be a disaster for the island. The first bomb was horrible for the island...tourism still hasn't picked up and that is what the balinese rely on. If it was a gas explosion, it would be easier to deal with in the aftermath. Plus the article said 'it was apparently quite common' to have gas explotions. Never to this scale obviously. the locals are just in denial, a gas exxplosion is much easier to accept thana terrorist attack
Random terrorist activities? The very concept baffles me. I have no doubt it happens from time to time, but it is a very rare thing indeed. No, 99% of the time there's someone sitting in front of a TV, watching the news the chaos and death he planned genenerated, and smiling. Random targets is also a strange concept. The targets were restaraunts, and I know how that works all too well. Maximum number of casualties, specifically tourists, and all of a sudden someone is taking notice. It gets news headlines, it causes a crushing blow to the island's economy, and is, in fact, a genius blow of terrorism. It will drive off foreign investors, tourists, and will cause the local goverment much in the way of pain. Random, perhaps, in the way that it didn't much matter which restaraunts were targeted, as long as they had plenty of people, but it was a planned event. Just as blowing up buses is considered random targeting because while they certainly set out to blow up buses, they weren't targeting a specific one. And for those wondering why it's so easy for me to talk about this in a cold manner, it's mainly due to me living through a time when boarding a bus or going to a restaraunt in Jerusalem or Tel-Aviv was a calculated risk. After a year in which a day without someone blowing up somewhere was big news (I actually remember this happening in the evening news, and for weeks beforehand the bombings were reported in what could only be called a bored manner), you just don't care as you're supposed to.
I have to agree with Roman and fairyliquid on this one. Randomness is no way a key of terrorism. Smart terrorists plan things out for a while. Even seemingly random acts of violence, Northern Irish car bombings for example, have a strategy behind them that denies "randomness"
Also I can't see them recovering from this financially through lack of tourism for a very very long time now; unless they can sort something out with the terrorists I guess, but I can't see that happening.
I heard that the airport was swamped with tourists, cutting short their vacations. It really is a shame for the people who live there and are depending on those tourists! Can't blame the tourists for their reaction, either, though.
I don't blame the tourists but after the last bombings there the island was dead. Prices were unbelievably cheap, hotels were desperate, and shops were having to close their door right left and center. It was bad enough once, but when it happens twice people stand back and think...this isn't the safest place to go. In my case I'd still go over, partly because I know certain hotels which you can go to and stay in and are strategically not possible to hit with much effect. So long as you stick to that and stay away from places like Kuta, you are fine. Stick to Nusa Dua and so long as you dont go to a certain hotel (the manager was particularly outspoken against the terrorists) there shouldn't be any worries. I think I have friends going over in a few weeks. The problem is that very few people know this. I wouldn't be surprised if the island never recovers after this. Which is sad because it is a fantastic place.
This one hit very close to home for me, several friends of mine were very close to the bombings. Luckily they have all survived*, however two of them are in serious conditions from shrapnel wounds. I am rather worried about how they are going to recover from this as after the first bomber detonated himself and they looked to see what the noise from the explosion was, they saw a man (one of the bombers) running towards them detonate his bomb. It was very messy and I know the sight of this will haunt them for years to come. *and were robbed while lying injured on the ground. Oh the worlds a lovely place.
I'm really sorry to hear about your friends Pepster. When people you know are involved in the chaos it turns from 'a news report thousands of miles away' into something that effects your everyday life. My thoughts are with you and your friends as well as anyone who has been affected by terrorism in these times.
It's a shame that the terrorists will probably win here. If Bali doesn't recover it's tourism industry, then it will become poor, dissatisfied, adding to the dissatisfaction in the country as a whole. THis will make it easier for the terrorists' (I hate that word, it's like 'communists' was in the 80s) political goals to be met. So yes, the enemy has won in Bali.
