For a few the solution is to get into gangs and attack the outsiders. This is a minority, people who are often poorly educated, disenfranchised (usually men) who no longer feel part of society and become radicalised. Anger and hate drives them to pick on the groups they feel are responsible for this. Without understanding the complexities of globalisation they blame anyone who has the same coloured skin and religion as the attackers. Not surprisingly, events like this fuel their prejudices and drive them to violence.
Most people don't respond in this way but preconceived ideas about 'foreigners' are confirmed, lodging in-place stereotypical views of outsiders.
Of course, there has been and always will be, the potential for individuals to commit violent crimes.
But this attack also had a political aspect, with a suggested military connection. It could be that such events are more about historical and geopolitical events than the individuals involved.
As colonialism has been replaced by the modern globalised technology-based society, material benefits have come at the price of inequality and broken communities. Industry has extended supply chains across the world which means domestic factories struggle against low-cost producers. Countries compete to lower taxes, and hence spending, to attract firms. In poorer parts of the world some these effects are often more pronounced. The recent collapse of a Bangladesh factory shows the impact of cost reductions and maximising profits where there is little regulation.
Additionally, since 2001, there has been on-going military action. The USA and a handful of NATO countries have been engaged in operations across the world, often against Muslim countries, always resulting in turmoil and chaos, the perfect breeding ground for terrorism. This was prompted by the September 11th atrocity which led President Bush to launch his war on terror to ensure no such event occurred again.
And yet, like September 11th, we now regularly see violent acts against innocent civilians.
In April a NATO airstrike targeted a house in eastern Afghanistan killing 10 children and one woman inside. Seven Taliban suspects were also killed but five women were wounded inside the house.
The War on Terror has failed and the news so frequently mentions death on the streets of Kabul or Baghdad we barely notice it.
Innocent citizens are at risk and the people of Afghanistan and Iraq are angry and upset. They wonder how this could happen in the twenty-first century.
For a few the solution is to get into gangs and attack the outsiders, become radicalised....