As for the original thingamahjig…. it’s long. Sorry.

 

You are right it’s like what we see in other countries.  We didn’t string anyone up and burn them, even in effigy, so I am fairly proud it was channeled into a relatively harmless tribal moment  But that’s why it’s like the middle eastern celebrations.  It’s pure and simple and ancient tribalism.  It’s why someone beat up a Giants fan at a Dodgers game, and why people in the south literally live and die by football, South America or Europe by futbol….. GOooooL!

 

Even your first paragraph nails the emotional complexity of “this is bad” to “BURN” to sympathy for victims. It’s complex. It’s one of the more complex ethical questions of our time.  Especially for a Nobel Peace Prize winning president in 3 wars, with new sanctions on another state. My immediate reaction was schadenfreude, then, “wait”.

 

My friend asked if killing someone is the most creative way of advancing peace. I say, it’s a watershed moment for sure. The middle east is teeming with revolution and non-partisan democracy that is lacking fundamentalism. Al Queda and irrational religious dogma has been losing hold, and it’s been a previous point of panic for the organization…. people are not the blind dogmatists that OBL had hoped for. Albeit not completely operational, OBL was a key point in the organization of the vast network. At this point, it is potential that the network has been so severed by our (successful?) wars and sanctions in the middle east, Al Queda is no more than a disjointed concept of random extremists in different places.  In fact, the CIA said that they found some “pretty neat stuff” in the mansion.  Open to interpretation I guess.

Regardless of the human perspective of murder, the grander historic schemes *may* justify it. I am *NOT* saying it is justified, but these historic actions will be judged by more informed people of our future. In 10 years – will people celebrate Obama’s (and potentially Bush’s) opinion that the middle east was ready for democracy – and the prescient and ultimately informed Nobel committee awarded a man a Nobel Peace prize for his violent actions that led to a safer future? Or will the future ridicule the Nobel committee that they gave a man a peace prize that has killed nearly as many Arabs as Arafat, who acted as a jingoist war criminal? If Obama’s violent, overt actions in the immediate present leads to decades or centuries of peace, it is absolutely not our place to judge in the moment. We are the uninformed. Is violent, planned murder right? No.. never. But the slippery slope of a man who, for 25 years has murdered people from all walks of life….. changes people’s concept of humanity. Is it murder, or the simple progression of human history, a storied point in our pathway towards a more loving, connected, understanding, patient, compassionate culture?  It’s insane.  It’s incredibly radical (not pejorative) to me that Bush has been slightly vindicated with some of his Bush Doctrine nationalistic “delivering Democracy” stuff – he was right; It looks like they *were* ready for it (or something radically new).  They just needed WikiLeaks and the New York Times stir up the pot a bit.  I am not defending Bush, but Obama seems to be using some of that “preventive” war stuff.  Or what is Lebanon?  Feels Bush Doctrine-y to me.  Do I need to go on the record as saying I am 100% behind him?  I think he is intelligent enough to see the forest for the trees.  This is bigger than us.  Or maybe he is going to get us bombed again, short term. Maybe world peace and stability, long term.

The present is always complex, and seeing the broader scope of human history is confusing to me. This is an almost insignificant stop on board the train of US & World history…. while being one of the most significant moments of our lives, to date.

I think it will take at least 5 years before we can even begin to understand the complex results of this historic, confusing, and momentous decision.

But that’s me… Imma fence sitter.

 

As to whether I rejoice in his death

 

I will tell you why I am pleased he is dead, and not captured alive.  So that monster doesn’t have a bully pulpit to preach for decades while we argue where to try him, and if he should have a fair trial, etc.  It would be horrid and inconceivable for the families of the victims, the soldiers…. the country.  So I, frankly, given the task, would have had to think hard, real hard.  What’s best for the country? Dead or Alive?  I mean, if a bunch of us saw him in the H&M at Union Square… what do you think would happen to him?  What’s one bullet? (this is tongue and cheek, obviously, I hope)

 

So – the juvenile tribalism that we expressed is not surprising, and no one was making sand castles (see attached. Don’t ask me…. so bizarre).

 

As to the photos

 

Likely moot as they will be leaked.  You can’t control data like that, right?  But I think it behooves our government to release the photo of the cloaked water burial to show the Muslims of the world: this was pure business, and no disrespect.

 

As to the “MLK” quote…

 

The future will be a hybrid of past things being cannibalized by modern times.  It’s true.  It’s also a bummer because I am pretty incredulous and I bought that hook line.  I mean, if it’s on 17 facebook accounts, will postmodernist’s call that a fact?  That bummed me out… now I gotta append this.

 

On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 4:04 PM, Jiggity Jackass Jimmy wrote:

Only in part. Seems like a woman wrote the first sentence and tacked on the King quote to it. I think the sentiment still comes across. But funny how stuff like this happens on the Interwebbers


 

 

 

 

 

Agreed all around. But the MLK quote is erroneous which I find interesting on many counts

On May 4, 2011, at 3:24 PM, Jiggity Jackass Jimmy wrote:

Dunno about you guys, but the Deez and I have been talking a lot in the past few days about the reaction to bin Laden’s killing and how the bloodlust was pretty alarming. On one hand, fuck that guy and I hope he rots in hell with a bullet in his eye socket. On the other, the video footage from various parts of the country of people dancing in the streets reminded me a lot of the Palestinians, Afghanis and others who have danced in the streets when Americans have been killed. The difference is obviously that in most cases, the Americans have been innocents or soldiers, and this guy was the biggest turd on the planet. But still. The feeling should be relief and some level of closure for those directly impacted by 9/11 but not fist pumps and chanting. Maybe that’s just me.
In announcing that he won’t be making the photos public, Barry seemed to nail it:
President Barack Obama on the decision to not release photos of Osama bin Laden:
“I think that Americans and people around the world are glad that he is gone. But we don’t need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk.”
There’s also this MLK quote which we’ve all seen in the past few days:
“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that,”
And this excellent David Sirota column on salon:

And of course my head almost exploded when I thought I agreed with Glen Beck until about the 1:20 mark when he revealed the bait and switch:

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