It is that assumption of established wellbeing that makes a terror attack the more shocking, and the fear it inspires the more contagious. The waves of terror and grief for children, mothers, fathers, lovers and pensioners ripple out to the 34 different countries from which they came, and far beyond. That means the internet giants patrolling the margins of what they host in a more coherent and consistent way. It is widely recognised that it will never be possible to prevent every terror attack in a free society. But terror will have won if, in the fight against it, we fail to protect the sense of shared purpose and trust that bind society together.

Source: The Guardian August 18, 2017 17:48 UTC