Thoughts on Osama bin Laden's Assassination

Well, first, I don't believe whatever the White House is saying. Even their own official spoke people contradict each other, how can they expect us to believe them? Read about some the contradictions as well video's of some of the White House briefings at Politico. So let's for a moment put aside the alternative media and conspiracy theorists' belief that Bin Laden has been dead for a number of years now and that this was all a staged event . . .

So an American friend asked me the other day how do I feel about Bin Laden's killing and in particular, how do I feel about American's celebrating his killing. (As a New Yorker my friend admitted to cheering at the announcement of Bin Laden's death.)

Personally I think it is terribly sad. People think that through his killing they have attained justice. The supposed mastermind behind 9/11 has at long last been brought to justice. I beg to differ. Firstly, 9/11 was just as much an inside job as an outside terrorist attack. If you don't believe it, then answer the Building 7 question. Secondly, there is no justice in the assassination of Osama bin Laden. Yes, the United States got even, like when a child pulls the hair of the girl that pulled her hair first. Tit for tat. You performed a terrorist attack on us, so we will perform terrorist attacks on you. (And that is basically what America has done with it's invasions, wars, and continuous drone strikes in Pakistan wherein numerous innocent people are regularly killed.) I'm sorry, no justice has been served. If they really wanted justice, they should have captured Bin Laden (and don't tell me the most elite combat squad in the world aren't capable of it). They should have captured him, and took him before a court of law, preferably an international tribunal. Then we would have had justice. But what makes me really sad about this whole thing is that people are cheering death. They are finding joy in the death of another person. They are not cheering for Justice -- in the virtuous sense of the word, but for getting even; they are cheering revenge. I see a depiction of an elementary, a childish morality; definitely not a matured morality or sense of ethics. America has not shown itself to be morally better or ethically superior to its enemy. They are on equal plains. An egotistical you-hit-me-I-hit-you-back-harder attitude that will only escalate mutual hatred and cause further terrorist (revenge) attacks.

Furthermore, people celebrating at the death of Osama bin Laden, thinking that this means the end of the wars, are naive. Sadam Hussein's death did not signal the end of the Iraqi war. Bin Laden's death will not result in the immediate end of the Afghani war. And the secret war in Pakistan continues. The wars continue.

Good, Osama bin Laden is dead; but so is Justice and any hope for reconciliation. And the vicious circle of revenge and hate continues. It's a cause not for celebration, but for crying.

Below is an example of something worth celebrating.