Thoughts on Bin Laden
"Bin Laden is Dead, Obama Says"
May 1, 11:30PM: My Facebook wall was overwhelmed with patriotic status updates. Some updates were from friends who were at the Phillies-Mets game. Some updates were about the craziness on the streets of DC.
What is going on?!
Headline on the news: Osama Bin Laden is dead.
Obama's calm, stoic face filled my screen minutes afterwards reaffirming the headlines.
For a couple hours after that, I was glued to my TV, watching constant coverage... experts talking about the impact, crowds cheering and chanting, as I sat there and wished I was in the middle of all the excitement in DC.
In those hours, a mixture of emotions wash over me. What a surreal moment filled with disbelief, pride, patriotism, happiness, sadness... and did I mention disbelief? Why did the demise of this man affect me? I remember most details of that fateful morning in September, 2001. Another day of emotions and overwhelming disbelief. This man was the cause of that day.
This man did not affect me directly in any way, shape or form. I did not do anything to deserve this feeling of pride. And what kind of person am I to feel happiness over a man's death? My sadness was over the thousands of lives affected and lost in the hunt.
If this is how I feel, I can't even begin to imagine what people who lost loved ones are experiencing.
Random thoughts....
Bin Laden vs Hitler?
Some experts say that this is the end of the war on terrorism. They compare this event to the death of Hitler who, eerily enough, was confirmed dead exactly 66 years ago. The death of Hitler was the end of Nazism. I don't think that will hold true in this case. By no means am I an expert or even remotely knowledgable of the workings of Al-Qaeda, but I believe that Al-Qaeda is structured very differently from Hitler's Nazi world. Hitler was the driving force of his organization. Bin Laden seems more like a figure head who built his organization with much different infrastructure; even if one cell or division falls, the whole will still function strong. His 'assassination' may make him a martyr to the organization, giving them a reason to stand together and act. Hopefully, I am wrong and these experts are right.
Obama & American politics
This one event has boosted Obama's rating and has changed the focal point and legacy of his term. No question about it. My hope is he can sustain this patriotic unity and use it to add more points to his legacy.
The GOP is back to square one in their 2012 White House run. Other than demanding for Bin Laden's long form death certificate and perhaps pictures of corpse, Donald Trump and all his Republican cohorts have nothing. So much so, that they're now trying to give Bush full credit for Bin Laden's capture. I admit, he should get some credit for almost accidentally starting the intelligence work. But the actual capture was based on Obama's decision to strike with information compiled by people he selected. Bush and his administration would not have been able to do the same thing. They had all the same information for years, yet they never made the capture. They missed Bin Laden at Tora Bora. And a Bush direct quote:
"You know, I just don’t spend that much time on him to be honest with you … And I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don’t know where he is. I - I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.” ~George Bush, October 2004
It's funny that Alberto Gonzales has such a good memory now. He must be taking his Ginko Biloba.
Wills & Kate
Can't go by without mentioning that Prince William and Kate Middleton must be ecstatic over this news. They can now skulk off to their cottage in Northern Wales as the media limelight focuses on American foreign policy and it's War on Terrorism.
I am very grateful to the men and women in the U.S. military and their families. And the U.S. Intelligence agencies. It is their sacrifice and success we celebrate. Most of us have done nothing, yet we still celebrate like it was our efforts.
Bin Laden's death is still surreal. I suppose I'll soon get annoyed with all the excessive coverage. (Why does the media have to dissect every little thing and repeat everything incessantly until the next minute update?) In the meanwhile, I can't wait to see Bin Laden's obituary in The Economist.
"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain
May 1, 11:30PM: My Facebook wall was overwhelmed with patriotic status updates. Some updates were from friends who were at the Phillies-Mets game. Some updates were about the craziness on the streets of DC.
What is going on?!
Headline on the news: Osama Bin Laden is dead.
Obama's calm, stoic face filled my screen minutes afterwards reaffirming the headlines.
For a couple hours after that, I was glued to my TV, watching constant coverage... experts talking about the impact, crowds cheering and chanting, as I sat there and wished I was in the middle of all the excitement in DC.
In those hours, a mixture of emotions wash over me. What a surreal moment filled with disbelief, pride, patriotism, happiness, sadness... and did I mention disbelief? Why did the demise of this man affect me? I remember most details of that fateful morning in September, 2001. Another day of emotions and overwhelming disbelief. This man was the cause of that day.
This man did not affect me directly in any way, shape or form. I did not do anything to deserve this feeling of pride. And what kind of person am I to feel happiness over a man's death? My sadness was over the thousands of lives affected and lost in the hunt.
If this is how I feel, I can't even begin to imagine what people who lost loved ones are experiencing.
Random thoughts....
Bin Laden vs Hitler?
Some experts say that this is the end of the war on terrorism. They compare this event to the death of Hitler who, eerily enough, was confirmed dead exactly 66 years ago. The death of Hitler was the end of Nazism. I don't think that will hold true in this case. By no means am I an expert or even remotely knowledgable of the workings of Al-Qaeda, but I believe that Al-Qaeda is structured very differently from Hitler's Nazi world. Hitler was the driving force of his organization. Bin Laden seems more like a figure head who built his organization with much different infrastructure; even if one cell or division falls, the whole will still function strong. His 'assassination' may make him a martyr to the organization, giving them a reason to stand together and act. Hopefully, I am wrong and these experts are right.
Obama & American politics
This one event has boosted Obama's rating and has changed the focal point and legacy of his term. No question about it. My hope is he can sustain this patriotic unity and use it to add more points to his legacy.
The GOP is back to square one in their 2012 White House run. Other than demanding for Bin Laden's long form death certificate and perhaps pictures of corpse, Donald Trump and all his Republican cohorts have nothing. So much so, that they're now trying to give Bush full credit for Bin Laden's capture. I admit, he should get some credit for almost accidentally starting the intelligence work. But the actual capture was based on Obama's decision to strike with information compiled by people he selected. Bush and his administration would not have been able to do the same thing. They had all the same information for years, yet they never made the capture. They missed Bin Laden at Tora Bora. And a Bush direct quote:
"You know, I just don’t spend that much time on him to be honest with you … And I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don’t know where he is. I - I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.” ~George Bush, October 2004
It's funny that Alberto Gonzales has such a good memory now. He must be taking his Ginko Biloba.
Wills & Kate
Can't go by without mentioning that Prince William and Kate Middleton must be ecstatic over this news. They can now skulk off to their cottage in Northern Wales as the media limelight focuses on American foreign policy and it's War on Terrorism.
I am very grateful to the men and women in the U.S. military and their families. And the U.S. Intelligence agencies. It is their sacrifice and success we celebrate. Most of us have done nothing, yet we still celebrate like it was our efforts.
Bin Laden's death is still surreal. I suppose I'll soon get annoyed with all the excessive coverage. (Why does the media have to dissect every little thing and repeat everything incessantly until the next minute update?) In the meanwhile, I can't wait to see Bin Laden's obituary in The Economist.
"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain