Bin Laden

[kathygnome]

So I woke up Monday and Osama was dead. I do have friends who are engaging in some introspection about it, but I can't join them. Good riddance to the son of a bitch. Nor am I particularly aggrieved that there was probably no intention to capture him and may have summarily executed him or that lives were risked rather than bombing. To me, this was handled in the best possible way. He's dead. There's no relics to pass around. No trial at which he can spout his rhetoric. No tapes coming out of some prison. Mr. Obama is not going to release gory photos for the idiots to revel in. Bin Laden is just gone. Gone past and done other than a few deathers.

I'm sorry that this is some level of hypocrisy for me, but oh well. Robert Ebert put it well "I am against the Death Penalty. I rejoice that Bin Laden was killed. 'Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself.' (Whitman)"

Comments

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

To me, this was handled in the best possible way.

Me too. He's gone now. Enough.

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

By the way, I don't know if I ever thanked you for introducing me to the book "The Road". It was the best thing I have read in ages and even though I read it a couple of months ago, I am STILL processing it.

[kathygnome.livejournal.com]

I am as well. It's a complex book on several levels and I'll just find myself randomly speculating on what something means or mulling over situations. Just really a work of brilliance. I have to thank my friend Anna for giving it to us as a gift.

[jinjre.livejournal.com]

I am against the death penalty, and I refuse to use slug and snail bait in my yard. Nor will I salt slugs.

I am thankful (not rejoicing, but thankful) that bin Laden is dead. I am worried that without his banner to flock to, we will end up with a splintered Al Qaida - 50 groups of people who can't organize their way out of a paper bag.

The most dangerous person with a nail gun is the one who doesn't know how to use one. On that principle, the most dangerous terrorists are the ones who know just enough to start something but nothing about follow-through - they are dangerous because they act in chaotic manners and are often quite spontaneous, rather than being able to ferret out what might be coming at us, I think we may be facing numerous groups of chaos driven destructive abilities.

I do not rejoice in anyone's death. I am heartily glad that this man is not around anymore to cause more massive destruction to lives. I am very glad this was a hit-grab-run operation and not a large-scale bombing: in a large scale bombing, there wouldn't be enough bits of him left to convince people that he was dead (though many are doubting already, primarily because it happened on Obama's watch methinks). Given the location of the compound, it also meant there was very very little collateral damage (like, oh, say, his neighbors houses are still standing - while Pakistan may tolerate us running into his house and taking him out? I doubt they'd tolerate us blowing up his neighborhood).

It is a very good thing that he is no longer around, though I still can't rejoice in his death. Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. ;)

[malwae.livejournal.com]

I was in the midst of some awful personal stuff when I heard the news, and it brightened up my day immensely. Although, I think I was more delighted about the fact that a democrat took him out than his actual death, mostly because it amuses me when the world doesn't work out according to Limbaugh's fantasies. Heh.