you've heard so much and seen so much about isis, it's easy to get anxious, it's trying to scare you and confuse you. and the gruesome attacks in paris have yet again done just that. we still can't be certain how many of these attacks are planned or directed or simply inspired by isis. but that lack of knowledge only adds to our anxiety and fuels our fear. and indeed the terrible attacks in paris have alarmed the entire world, making it all the more important that we understand the islamic state fully and realistically. isis presents itself as a global organization.