Massacre in Paris an "act of war"

Hundreds of people out for an evening of fun in Paris have been killed or hospitalized from bombs and semi-automatic rifles wielded systematically by Islamic State fighters.

This is terrorism at its rawest -- attacking unsuspecting civilians at soccer games, listening to music in a theater, or having dinner in a restaurant.   This was obviously a well-planned and co-ordinated series of attacks in different places within 30 minutes of each other, which makes the Islamic State's claimed responsibility more plausible.  The message is:   Be very afraid;  you are not safe, anywhere, anytime.

As bad as the immediate damage to individual lives and families, there will also be political damage felt around the world . . . not least in the U.S. presidential campaign.   Those already advocating military hawkishness will amp up and claim only they can keep us safe.

Those who are demagogueing the immigration debate will point to how easy it is for terrorists to get into and travel around in Europe.   They will argue that this increases the U.S. imperative to build walls and keep both immigrants and refugees out of our country.   And it will stoke the already problematic anti-Muslim fervor.

Those who want diplomacy to have a chance, with military force only as a last resort, will have an even harder task in countering the fears that this latest attack engenders.   The question does arise, perhaps more seriously than any time since 9/11:   are we on the verge of World War III?

Ralph