Today morning I read about this bomb blast killing wedding guests and families in Afghanistan [1]. Unfortunately, it was carried out by one of us. I ignored the news, in some sort of natural filter, to avoid registering negatives of the world. There are just so many of them.
Now after read Daniel's experience, and your comment about Peshawar Neebz, I feel what a terrible place and time I have been born in. Why does all this have to happen? Who is terrorist for whom? And why do innocents have to die or face these experiences at all? For which perhaps only the political leaders are responsible.
Why do you single out the XIII century? In Western/Southern Europe and much of Asia, it was in many respects a golden age. The XIV century was worse, most notably due to the plague.
(I may have been echoing an old SF story where a XXX century displaced person was telling a friend about his punishment for trying a ruthless power grab, which was being dumped in Warsaw in September 1939. However, he had bounced back, remaking a good life. But the "friend" was an agent who then proceeded to continue the punishment by dumping him in Baghdad before Genghis hit it ...).
The Mongols are exactly why I didn't mention the space between Asia and Western Europe. To tie in the Crusades comment below, I also didn't mention Northern Africa or the Middle East. Anyway, once again it seems I've read too much into a random number, similarly to when I jumped all over someone on Reddit for saying nothing happened in 1789!
Not to minimize that tragic bombing you read about this morning, but it took place back in 2002. Your wording gave me the impression it happened recently.
Hmmm, did notice that. Tragedy nonetheless, but right now what's more tragic is that my friends are sharing this old piece of news up on their walls. :-)
Unfortunately, there have always been these kind of things happening in the world. The only thing that has changed is now we have the ability to share all of this in real time and the constant stream of news we are bombarded with.
It also doesn't help that a story like the one you posted above, is more "click-worthy" than a story about how someone from the same Boston Bomb blast helped saved people, made tourniquets out of their shorts and shirt, and put their own safety in jeopardy just to help others. I would like to read a story like that; a story that celebrates humans helping other humans in times of tragedy.
Unless it is some chain "status" on Facebook put on by some poster just scraping for likes, only to promote some shitty whatever on their facebook account, feel good stories just aren't as widely circulated as stories that scare people. It sucks.
Why is this a terrible time compared to others? While the third world is still not a good life compared to our past it could be a lot worse. While famines are still a problem they are not nearly as prevalent as in the past. Although people living in the third world don’t get good medical care it’s still better than what most people had available 1500 years ago. All we’ve done is exchange one set of problems for another, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that when looking at history this is a more terrible time than any other.
Now after read Daniel's experience, and your comment about Peshawar Neebz, I feel what a terrible place and time I have been born in. Why does all this have to happen? Who is terrorist for whom? And why do innocents have to die or face these experiences at all? For which perhaps only the political leaders are responsible.
[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-125820/US-bomb-kills...