Reaction Like everyone else I suppose, I was screaming when I first heard, the similarities and co-incidences there for all to see. I was immediately stewing at another terrorist act -- at how invading and bombing the Taliban had been a complete waste of time, my vague guilt about the war abolished in moments. But as the hours move and it appears this was an accident, a mechanical failure out of 'human' hands. I should feel numb. Again all of these people dead. But I don't. I don't feel they way I did hours after the other tragedy. I don't feel helpless because I can't do anything. I don't keep thinking about all the people on the plane as they saw their last moments in the ground, or the people in their houses as they realised that the plane was heading towards them -- I can't see an imagined version of their faces as I did last time. Is the worst tragedy that we've all become used to this. That we can't feel pain this time because the original pain never went away, we just became used to it, the war engendering it into a status quo. How will we all feel if something else happens?

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