Markets are down moderately on the Brussels, Belgium attacks.
It would be understandable if people react be canceling trips to the Netherlands and perhaps to other places as well. But that would seem to allow the terrorists to win.
It so happens that I have a trip planned to the Netherlands in July. I am happy to report that my own reaction is that there is no way I am going to cancel my trip or even be more than a tiny bit afraid. The reality is that the chances of any particular person being harmed in a terrorist attack are very tiny. The overall dangers of life today are far less than they were 50 years ago. The 24-7 news coverage of terrorists attacks inevitably greatly distorts our perception of the danger. We should try to keep this danger in perspective. The terrorists want us to live in fear of such attacks. Let’s try not to let that happen.