THE MANCHESTER BOMBING

     Today we witnessed the kickoff of this year's Summer of Rage with a suicide bomb attack on Manchester Arena in England. Ariana Grande, one of our country's most beautiful celebrities, had just finished a performance when a massive explosion killed 22 people and seriously wounded an unknown number of others. There are also many people reported missing. Ariana escaped the carnage, and issued only a brief statement saying that she "was heartbroken" and was in shock like the others.

     Ariana's fan-base is mostly tween and early-teenaged girls and that demographic was the majority of the crowd at Manchester today. The British authorities are calling it a terrorist attack and indications seem to point to a shrapnel-bomb detonated outside the auditorium as the fans were leaving. Prime Minister Teresa May activated high-terror alert procedures.

     At this point we know nothing of the attacker or motive; or whether May's actions are precautionary or based on actual information. Shrapnel-bombs are especially hideous weapons because they tend to cause even more permanent injuries than fatalities. This was the type of device employed during the Boston Marathon Bombing. The explosion sends projectiles at hundreds of miles per hour through a crowd like Grapeshot.

     The American Corporate Media has been keeping its audience of drug addicts amused while we await details. "Multiple confirmed fatalities at Manchester Arena." 'reported' CBS' David Leavitt, "The last time I listened to Ariana Grande, I almost died too!"

     This guy is almost as hilarious as Stephen Colbert.

      "Honestly for a year, I thought an Ariana Grande was something you ordered at Starbucks!" Leavitt further quipped.

      In fairness to Leavitt, most males employed by the US Media aren't the types who are attracted to lovely young women, so they may not have noticed Ariana. Also, CBS News' audience is mostly made up of morons even stupider than Leavitt.

      While American 'journalists' are making fools of themselves, the BBC has set up hotlines to locate the missing and organize blood donor stations. Area hotels are donating space for shelters and triage centers. The Bishop of Manchester has called on the people to pray and stand firm. Manchester's Chief Constable Ian Hopkins cautioned the press not to jump to conclusions but to wait for facts from the investigation. Which would be a wise policy for us to follow as well.

      Remember that very recently in the United States there was a wave of anti-Semitic threats---that turned out not even to be politically motivated, but the handiwork of two nutcases. Mass-shootings are always blamed on Conservatives---usually it turns out that the shooter was anything but Conservative. Immigrants have been blamed for violence at Trump rallies when White native-born Liberals are responsible. And so on.

       Right now we should be debating how best to help the people of Britain, instead of hunting scapegoats like the many on the Web are doing---or yukking it up like the Corporate Media is doing. But coming to the aid of friends was something we used to do as a culture. Screaming, pointing fingers, and vulgar snark---that's the new normal in the Prozac Nation.