# Scores killed in explosions and shootout in Paris. Hostages being held **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 13, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499 "2015-11-13T21:55:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/61 "2015-11-14T00:12:48Z")
I’m watching the BBC’s live news stream. I just noticed that the volume setting on their application goes up to 11. I hope it’s not so horribly wrong to mention this… I don’t think it is. Because IMO an injection of mild humor can provide a brief and very mild respite to such terrible news. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/62 "2015-11-14T00:16:38Z")
> [@Francois Hollande](#): > > President Francois Hollande gave a live address on French TV, speaking of “unprecedented attacks in progress in Greater Paris”. > > “It’s a horror,” he said. “Two decisions will be taken: a state of emergency will be decreed which means certain places will be closed, traffic may be banned and searches may also take place throughout the Paris region. > > “The second decision I have taken is to close the borders. We must guarantee that no one can come in to commit any act. And at the same time those who may have committed crimes can be arrested if they try to leave the country.” > > “I have decided that we should mobilise all the forces we have to enable the neutralisation of the terrorists and to put in place security in all areas that could be concerned. > > "I have also asked for military reinforcements. They are at this moment in the Greater Paris area to ensure no further attack takes place.” > > He spoke of his thoughts for the “very numerous victims, their families, the wounded” and appealed for compassion and solidarity. > > France had to display “sang-froid” in responding to “terrorism”, the president said. > > “What the terrorists want is to scare us,” he added. Reports say 100 dead. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/63 "2015-11-14T00:16:42Z")
In the realm of a hundred people confirmed to have been killed in the attack at the Bataclan, per France 24. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/64 "2015-11-14T00:16:43Z")
Numbers are coming in at 100 dead in the theatre. So sad:( I imagine most of these people were younger? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/65 "2015-11-14T00:16:54Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > I’m watching the BBC’s live news stream. I just noticed that the volume setting on their application goes up to 11. Its one louder, innit. (The volume control on BBC video/audio has gone to 11 for as long as web volume sliders have been a thing) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/66 "2015-11-14T00:16:57Z")
According to the Agence France-Press, police say that casualties in the theater are around 100 people. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/67 "2015-11-14T00:18:01Z")
> [@Sampsiceramos](#): > > As far as I’ve understood from France24s English coverage, the perpetrators aren’t so much suspected to be Syrian nationals as they’re suspected to be returnees from the Syrian and Iraqi conflict. > > I really worry that this terrorist attack will incite a wave of ultranationalist violence across Europe - they’re already burning down refugee centres now; God only knows what likely could be hundreds of innocent lives will become the twisted justification for. Islamic extremists aren’t content to coexist. At some point the backlash will be ugly. If nationalists come to power how are those who are perceived to have facilitated the growth of Islam in Europe going to be considered? Next few years are going to be interesting times. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/68 "2015-11-14T00:18:35Z")
French TV (TF1) now reporting that there were at least seven separate attacks on the east side of Paris, mostly in the general area of the canal St. Martin. No update on the Bataclan hostage situation as yet. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/69 "2015-11-14T00:19:55Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > This appears to be the worst terrorist attack since 9/11. This looks bad, but maybe on the low end of similar attacks. If you discount the ME and Africa, or discount Breivik, you got the Madrid bombings, the Bali bombings, the Beslan school siege, and the Moscow theater attack, all of which killed a couple hundred. Looks like the French authorities took them out before it got real ugly (knocks on wood). ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/70 "2015-11-14T00:22:56Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > This is so goddamn frustrating! What are these assholes trying to accomplish? What the fuck is wrong with these people? Religious idealism gone mad. This is not new for sects of Islam. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/71 "2015-11-14T00:25:15Z")
Damn, BBC is saying 100 dead too. Before the storming, they were saying 100 hostages. I was hoping maybe they had made a mistake was confusing the death toll with the hostage numbers, but I guess not. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/72 "2015-11-14T00:25:55Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > This looks bad, but maybe on the low end of similar attacks. If you discount the ME and Africa, or discount Breivik, you got the Madrid bombings, the Bali bombings, the Beslan school siege, and the Moscow theater attack, all of which killed a couple hundred. Looks like the French authorities took them out before it got real ugly (knocks on wood). I expect the death toll here is going to rise as things get sorted out. Hope I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/73 "2015-11-14T00:26:30Z")
BBC is saying unconfirmed, and they stress unconfirmed, the The Jungle is one fire. That’s the camp at Calais. If confirmed, they think it could be a revenge attack. ---
**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/74 "2015-11-14T00:27:05Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Religious idealism gone mad. This is not new for sects of Islam. It’s not new, period - and while I can agree that aspects of Islam (or at least aspects of the religious tradition in certain areas of the world) contribute to the development of these radicals, Europe has seen this sort of violence before, if not on an entirely similar scale. Before Islamic terrorism, there were communist and nationalist terrorists, and before them, anarchists. It’s not as if Europe doesn’t have a long and dreary history of radical attacks on innocent civilians even if you discount Islamic terrorism entirely. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/75 "2015-11-14T00:30:37Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Islamic extremists aren’t content to coexist. At some point the backlash will be ugly. If nationalists come to power how are those who are perceived to have facilitated the growth of Islam in Europe going to be considered? Next few years are going to be interesting times. It’s going to be a wake up call for many. It’s time to realize business as usual isn’t working. We can’t just hope radical Islamists will just quietly go away any longer. Leaders have to find a solution to confront and crush radicalism in whatever form it takes. Closing the borders is a logical first step. I don’t know what changes can be made but this steadily growing wave of world wide terror must stop. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/76 "2015-11-14T00:33:44Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > BBC is saying unconfirmed, and they stress unconfirmed, the The Jungle is one fire. That’s the camp at Calais. If confirmed, they think it could be a revenge attack. Scratch that. It seems now that someone’s been spreading old photos of a fire at The Jungle that occurred in then past and claiming it’s a revenge attack now. Just hope BBC hasn’t given anyone any ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/77 "2015-11-14T00:35:09Z")
For the moment I am really, really glad that my (American, Jewish, working for the U.S. Embassy) and his (American, Jewish) wife and their two little kids had to leave Paris before all this happened, though I wish it weren’t for the reason that they did leave (health-related). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/78 "2015-11-14T00:37:06Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I don’t know what changes can be made but this steadily growing wave of terror must stop. ☹ I think violence should be a last resort. But when things like this happen, I think civilised countries might consider going Machiavellian on the terrorists. Putin might be the one to do it, since a Russian airliner was apparently bombed and terrorist groups have said they plan to strike in Russia itself. France sank a Greenpeace ship in 1981. I wouldn’t be surprised if terrorists started turning up dead. They may have finally gone too far. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/79 "2015-11-14T00:38:46Z")
> [@Sampsiceramos](#): > > Before Islamic terrorism, there were communist and nationalist terrorists, and before them, anarchists. It’s not as if Europe doesn’t have a long and dreary history of radical attacks on innocent civilians even if you discount Islamic terrorism entirely. But Islamic terrorists are just _worse_ in several ways. Firstly, they’re striking _today_, which means that the fear they elicit is _massively_ amplified by social media. Secondly, it’s much harder to discourage them because they have no fear of death. Indeed, it’s easy to argue that, for them, being killed is largely the point. Thirdly, there is absolutely no reasoning with them whatsoever. What they want is either (a) completely antithetical to the values of civilised society, (b) entirely religious in nature, or (c) both. We can’t even take the wind out of their sails with the most modest of compromises. Some day, one of those motherfuckers is going to get their hands on a nuclear weapon. When (not if, but _when_) they do, they’ll have no compunction about using it in such away as to maximise civilian casualties. Just think. Our entire world might unravel because of what a bunch of God-boggled primitives believe about a shitty book full of life-destroying gibberish written 1,400 years ago. Could _anything_ be more ridiculous? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499/80 "2015-11-14T00:39:07Z")
The calls for boots-on-the-ground war and some kind of racial/religious discrimination/genocide seem almost inevitable, even on this side of the Atlantic. I can only hope that cooler heads prevail. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scores-killed-in-explosions-and-shootout-in-paris-hostages-being-held/737499.md?page=5)