Manchester: We All Stand United

Whether it’s Brexit or the upcoming elections, there’s been plenty for Brits to argue over lately, though they put all of that aside in the name of coming together in the aftermath of this terrible terrorist attack. Investigators believe that a lone suicide bomber detonated a nail bomb at the end of the concert, killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 60. Many of the concertgoers were teenagers and young children who had flocked to Manchester Arena to see one of our generation’s top pop divas perform. Ariana Grande, the star of the show, wrote afterward on Twitter that she was broken and had no words to describe how she felt, an empty feeling which resonated with just about everyone who heard about what happened.

True to their characteristic resolve, however, the British people weren’t going to let terrorism get the best of them, and they quickly banded together to aid the wounded and house the survivors. This heartwarming display of sincere care and affection drew applause from all across the world, and it demonstrated the right way for society to band together in the aftermath of such attacks. The British reaction also drew parallels to the Russian one, where locals also helped survivors and aided paramedics following a suicide bombing in the Saint Petersburg metro last month. Both countries, separated as they are by the politics of the New Cold War, have both nonetheless fallen victim to the same sort of Wahhabi terrorism that most of the world is fighting against, and this presents an unexpected chance to join forces combating this evil together.

There’s another possibility which is much more certain, however, and it’s that the UK will seek to tighten its already strict surveillance state and broaden its wide national security state legislation in response to the Manchester suicide bombing. The UK is presently regarded as one of the most monitored countries in the world, yet even this somewhat ignominious distinction didn’t prevent the attack from happening.  In the interests of public safety and security, though, the UK might even take its efforts a step further, though there’s no telling how far it could go in this regard and whether the people will still remain united if this happens.

Andrew is joined by Alan Bailey, political activist from the UK, and Marcus Godwyn, political commentator.

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