A basic split into good and bad.

The foremost child psychoanalysts Melanie Klein when working in London developed her theories by watching the actions of young children playing. A touchstone concept is that of splitting the earliest perceived objects into good and bad. This is a necessary primitive defense mechanism that protect the developing ego from too much pain and suffering. Just so with the furore regarding the killings in Paris of Jews and non Jews alike. This basic split divides the world by this simplistic way. We do this in order not to grapple with the complexity of feelings when considering the underpinning and unconscious issues. When I worked as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice for over 35 years I called myself a Kleinian/Winnicottian. Someone who both recognised the importance of splitting while at the same time taking account of the facilitating environment. In other words the context in which this splitting takes places.
I think we are entering another dangerous period of post-Paris hysteria similar to that following the attacks of 9/11 - and the so called war on terror instigated by G.W. Bush and Tony Blair. Unless we can find a more inclusive dialogue that doesn't divide the world in the above simplistic manner there will be many years of suffering to come both here and the rest of Europe.