Pajiba

My FB newsfeed is filled with a mix of "fuck yeah America!", "ok, now bring home the troops", quotes about how murder is bad regardless of reason, and finally the conspiracy theorists who refuse to believe this is anything but a stunt to help Obama's approval ratings. It's interesting to see which of my friends belong to which camps. Honestly, the only ones who annoy me are the conspiracy theorists for one reason: none of them will even contemplate the possibility that this could be legit, and I think that's more small minded than believing whatever the news media tells you blindly. Rejecting everything out of hand is just as ignorant. I personally don't find the timing all that convenient like some people, but whatever, everyone's entitled to believe what they want, I guess. I personally hope it's legit cause I like the idea of him no longer being out there.

Every time we drop a bomb, or launch a drone strike or go in on a raid which leads to the death of a father or a mother or a child, we create potential terrorists; the future Bin Ladens of the world. So please excuse me from the flag wavin’, fist pumpin’, “Fuck Yeah!” patriotism demonstrations in effect today.

This cynic is sitting out.

It must've been fucking awesome to be picked for that mission.

General: "Well, son, your team has been selected for a special ops mission in Abbottabad. Here's the file. Have your men ready at 0200. Speak to no one else about this."

Soldier: *opens file* "Hmmm, large mansion . . . highly defended . . . military presence . . . Osama Bin Laden . . . shoot to kill . . . wait, what? You mean I get to---"

General: *nods*

Soldier: "HOLYFUCKYESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!!"

General: "Indeed, soldier. Indeed."

Additionally interesting to the day is the number of live radio reporters who keep slipping up and saying "Obama" instead of "Osama." And then it becomes very amusing to hear how carefully they speak afterwards.

I can't believe I was just a few miles from the White House last night when news broke. Now, I write from the Dulles airport as I catch a flight home. This is a weird place to be reflecting on the news.

'Bout F***ing time!

If your daughter was raped and killed, and the man was on the run for five years but was then caught and given the needle, you would feel a sense of righteous satisfaction; that is human nature. But would you run up and down the streets laughing, screaming in joy and waving your arms? I don't think so. It would be a satisfying end to a painful journey.

I understand the relief and even satisfaction, but I saw people on the news last night that looked like drunken spring-breakers. And the image doesn't sit well with me.

I guess I would just appreciate the monumental moment more if we were solemn in our victory, but beggars can't be choosers.

Well said, shamed in the shadows.

As a Christian, it seems improper to revel in the death of any human being. No matter what one has done, we are all God's children and God will judge. On the other hand, I'm a human being, and an American who lives almost within sight of the towers - so fuck that mother-fucker and I'm glad he's dead. We all have our sides, and he chose to put his ass in the line of fire by orchestrating the deaths of thousands. I'll say it again; fuck that motherfucker.

@KatSings...the conspiracy segment raises my hackles as well.

What are the current Vegas odds on Donald Trump joining this camp too??

Well, I don't believe the conspiracy stuff, but you damn well know that if this had happened on Bush's watch, there would still be a segment of the population questioning the timing. That's just a fact.

I was so bothered by the news media's coverage of it, that I couldn't really get as excited about the military victory as I wanted to get. I'm with KBalls though... would have been fucking sweet to be selected for that mission.

Honestly to me it feels like some far-off mythic figure has been killed.

Not sure how I feel about it.

Kind of hoping their won't be retaliation, anyone else fearful about that?

Except that the timing really isn't all that good. If this happened next October, then you'd be right to be suspicious. Of course, it's wonderfully ironic for the GOP to complain about such skulduggery since it was the sainted Ronald Reagan who gave us the term October Surprise in the first place.

Bullets don't kill ideas. That would be too convenient.

I'll say this: I'm not celebratory, yet in a way, I am. I'm not running up and down the streets chanting, but I won't judge those who are. Reactions to news of this magnitude are bound to be varied, and personal feelings are in some places bound to be caught up in national ones. There will be those who are quietly contemplative about it, and those who jump up and down with joy. Everyone is different, and I can't grudge those who react differently than I do.

In all honesty, I don't think it fundamentally changes anything; yet it may still. I hope that it does. Mostly, I truly and deeply hope that it grants some sense of closure to the families of all the people that have died at the hands (or the words) of Bin Laden, and that's not limited to those who were in the WTC and the Pentagon.

In any event, it certainly is something.

One down, several hundreds to go.

I hate conspiracy theories and -theorists, and I laugh at them on a regular basis (especially the 9/11-truthists... honestly, why would the US even bother to do the whole airplane stunt? Why not just plant bombs?), but I have to admit that this might be the most fertile ground for ct's since the dawn of time. Kill mission - no trial? An immediate water burial? Not even a picture...? And where did all his Doppelgängers go - he had half a dozen of these, didn't he? And there were no other important or even remotely note- and newsworthy Al-Qaida-people with him there on the compound? None of whom could be captured alive?

I'm just saying.

on dialysis for almost 10yrs.. YRS.

DNA confirm in less than 24hrs.. YRS.

buried at sea. right... just what i'd do w/the boogeyman of the century...

.... seems like the FUKYEAH crowd would demand his remains be hoisted on a spike and displayed on the front lawn of the white house.

you people are just beyond silly.

I don't really celebrate anyone's death--even bin Laden's. It was necessary but not celebratory. The only small joy that I take from it is that it was 8 years to the date of the "Mission Accomplished" speech (or so the date on Wikipedia tells me). That's how evil I am--I revel in schadenfreude and use Wikipedia as a resource.

I cannot condone the street celebrations and flag waving. When we engage in this kind of behavior, we are mimicking those in the Middle East who celebrate the deaths of Americans.
I am not joyful. Death is not cause for celebration.
I do, however, feel a sense of triumph, in that the man who was the mastermind of the 9/11 attack was brought to justice in the only court that he would ever allow himself to be tried in.

I agree with the others. This is a great victory for America, but we do not need to be celebrating like our team just won the World Series or Super Bowl. That is what they do when they bomb and kill Americans.

Our troops killed the main face of terrorism but that will not stop it. Someone is waiting in the wings to make a name for themselves and take Osama's place. They are watching the celebrations taking place. We can be happy and thankful but can't for a second let our guards down.

Now give those fine Navy SEALS each a piece of the bounty that was placed on Osama's head.

I cannot condone the street celebrations and flag waving. When we engage in this kind of behavior, we are mimicking those in the Middle East who celebrate the deaths of Americans.
I am not joyful. Death is not cause for celebration.
I do, however, feel a sense of triumph, in that the man who was the mastermind of the 9/11 attack was brought to justice in the only court that he would ever allow himself to be tried in.

Posted by: Spender at May 2, 2011 10:59 AM

Always love reading your posts.

I'm more affected by this than I thought I would be. I get choked up when America has moments of unity. I don't think America has been this unified since Sep 12, it's nice. I really hope that this means we can bring our troops home, and that the war is over.

@TheEmpress: I'm a SEAL. As far as you know.

Dude. Don't spoil this with Toby Keith ... just ... don't.

Toby Keith is never OK. WTF?

the opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation.

I cannot condone the street celebrations and flag waving. When we engage in this kind of behavior, we are mimicking those in the Middle East who celebrate the deaths of Americans.
I am not joyful. Death is not cause for celebration.
I do, however, feel a sense of triumph, in that the man who was the mastermind of the 9/11 attack was brought to justice in the only court that he would ever allow himself to be tried in.

Posted by: Spender at May 2, 2011 10:59 AM

Yes to this. My thoughts EXACTLY.

Well put!

To clarify: I live in New York and lived here at 9/11. I'm not going to begrudge the collective relief over this guy's death.

By burying Osama at sea, didn't we foolishly leave ourselves open to the prospect of the remaining members of Al-Qaeda finding his corpse at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss and reanimating it? Thus enabling carnage on an even grander scale? Did Michael Bay teach us nothing, people!?

America needed to kill the asshole, as a matter of principle. Now we can move on.

Well aren't you all just so fucking enlightened. This man was directly and indirectly responsible for thousands of American deaths at home and abroad and you're judging people for feeling a moment of jubilation when he finally received his karma right between the eyes. Seriously, jump up my ass. I'm usually all for thoughtful contemplation or reserved reflection, but honestly, today I'm happy that a mass-murdering asshole got killed, and I'm going to wave my tiny flag and have a "fuck yeah" moment, and I'm not going to judge others who do the same.

@jeannine

Tell that to the victim's families.

There is no Toby Keith in here...

I'm not celebrating Bin-Laden's death. I'm negatively celebrating his life.

Violence begets violence. Hate begets hate.
This is an explanation, not an excuse.

La vie boheme, Melapie!

I am not saying anyone can't celebrate; I have no control over the actions of others. I am merely saying it makes me uncomfortable.

I don't know how I feel. I know I'm not out celebrating even though I've studied/worked in the FiDi since 1990 and was there for both '93 and 9/11. Honestly, all I felt today were memories come upon again of that day which always leave me numb. Am I out there waving a flag? No. I'll be damned, though, if I criticize the first responders and family who rejoice in that bastard's death because I was a witness to what was done at the WTC twice.

And more thing.

Gotta keep the name of the man who killed Osama a secret, because he will become a target...

...I wonder if anyone has ever died from too many pats on the back?

On the one hand, I have to give him credit for ignoring the people who wanted him to cut and run from Afghanistan.

On the other hand, to get elected, he promised those people he was going to cut and run from Afghanistan. - ,

Not to get too political or anything, but Obama never said he would cut and run from Afghanistan. You're mis-remembering his entire stance on that war from the beginning. To him, that was the Just War. Iraq is a different matter.


And, yeah, expressing discomfort in jovial celebrations that eerily call-to-mind other, non-positive-for-America jovial celebrations isn't "judging" anyone. It's called freedom of gorram speech.

@Socrates_Johnson: Can we all agree to just call the agent-in-question Jack Bauer from now on?

Look, all ideals of practicality, spirituality, morality aside, we're allowed to feel human emotions. We're allowed to have our catharsis. Sometimes it's ugly. Sometimes humans are ugly. That doesn't mean we're unworthy of or incapable of grace. And I think there's a point at which we're allowed to be glad that a mass-murdering psycho is no longer sharing our planet.

I'm not about to tell someone that their catharsis isn't as moral or enlightened or pragmatic as my catharsis. That is in no way my place to judge.

By no stretch of the imagination would I equate Bin Laden and Hitler, but just for comparison's sake, if Twitter had existed back when Hitler's death was announced, would we have all these people shocked and dismayed and pearl-clutching at the outpouring of jubilation that ranges from quiet relief to balls-out ROT IN HELL FUCKER-style glee? I have to wonder.

I just feel like there are certain times when an honest human reaction shouldn't be condemned or judged.

My reaction? Fuck. Yes. I can't put a finger on the myriad things that probably says about my, as Ian put it, "darkest motivations" (were you suggesting that those relieved/jubilant are themselves murderous at heart? and that you yourself don't have or are somehow above these "darkest motivations"?)--but what I do know is that, at the end of the day, I'm human, and I'm okay with that.

I checked in to CNN.com last night around 10 pm just randomly and saw their home page photo was of people with American flags running around like freaky people in the streets and I thought, "Is the Olympics going on now?"

Yeah, uh, jubilation is sort of off base in this case. Feels hinky.

Posted by: Kballs at May 2, 2011 1:05 PM

You can always piss in it.

And how come no one has brought up the all-but-forgone-conclusion that the identification of the man who led us to Osama came from terrorists who were held in secret military prisons and subjected to advanced interrogation techniques, such as water-boarding?

And how come no one has brought up the all-but-forgone-conclusion that the identification of the man who led us to Osama came from terrorists who were held in secret military prisons and subjected to advanced interrogation techniques torture, such as water-boarding?

Posted by: Some Guy at May 2, 2011 3:25 PM

ftfy

WORD, heatseeker. You took the words right out of my mouth. My catharsis may be different than your catharsis and THAT'S OK.

was anyone watching celebrity apprentice last night? i kind of thought the Obama announcement that interrupted the celebrity apprentice firing was intentional. Oh Obama, you are trying to secure that 2012 run against Trump.

Posted by: TheLastCrusade at May 2, 2011 4:02 PM

Christian Slater?

Bob Kelso, don't be dense.

Obviously he meant Christian Bale. Who else has the fighting skills and technological backing to eradicate an entire race of people?

Think, fool! Use your brain!

Posted by: superasente at May 2, 2011 4:29 PM

A thousand apologies! I'm a little drunk if that counts as an excuse?

*hangs head in shame*

The thing about warfare, and make no mistake the dude did declare war on us, is that it is a an endeavor completely devoid of morality, or limits. Osama and his ilk were/are clear on that. Do I understand where he was coming from? Hell yeah, do I feel the same way about our way of life? Oh HELL YEAH. I'm in no way sympathetic to losing our way of life to some medieval goat-fucking, women abusing paradigm. I say, we follow-up and completely burn to the ground any enemy that means to eradicate us. What are we, assholes? This war is cultural, religious and political.

FUCK. THAT. SHIT. they want asymmetrical warfare? we need to respond in kind. Whenever and wherever.

RobP,

You are correct. My mistake.

I still want to know who gets the $27 million bounty. I've been turning in convenience store clerks by the score on the theory that, well, you never know ...

"I cannot condone the street celebrations and flag waving. When we engage in this kind of behavior, we are mimicking those in the Middle East who celebrate the deaths of Americans."

How much celebration depends on which one of the cocksuckers is dead. As they say Karma is a motherfucker.

Oh please. Do you guys remember Daniel Pearl, or the USS Cole bombing? This fucking raghead has been the mastermind behind it all folks, and yes, the terrorists will keep fighting, the man that they considered to be "untouchable" by the Infidels because of some connection to their God, got a bullet in the head and tossed over the side of a boat like the scum that he is.

I agree, celebrating in the streets at the death of him is mirroring the behavior of the terrorists who's ways and customs we hate and fear. But you have to understand that this guy has been fucking with the United States for nearly 30 years now, and each time he committed an act of violence, it was more vindictive and disgusting than the last.

He deserved to be hanged from the Capitol building, or the White House front door, but dumping his body in the water WAS completely logical. Let the terrorists know that we don't give a shit about their customs, about how they should be treated after death. We'll leave their rotting corpses lying around to cook in the sun, or drop them from helicopters into their bases.

You fool!

Now, I'm not saying that Osama Bin Laden's death was all just a coverup by our secret Muslim president, all I'm saying is that the little green alien that only I can see has offered some compelling evidence towards the contrary on the status of this so called "death."

Did you know, for instance, that bodies float in water! If that was the case, then why would the body be disposed in water? I have a lot of experience with throwing bodies in water, and let me tell you, they sure do float.

"But Glenn," you say, "why wouldn't you just weigh down the bodies with stones?" You fool! Stones were invented in 1947 in a Slovakian factory. Slovakia shares a border with Hungary, which happens to be the birth state of George Soros, the man who secretly rules the world! And the only way a man can secretly rule the world is by gaining access to something ubiquitous, and the most ubiquitous thing in human society is stones! How else can a man become a billionaire?

Coincidence? I'll let you decide.

Even as a secret muslim, President Barack Hussein Obama would know to be suspicious of stones, which Soros uses as monitors to spy on all of human society. Because Obama could not weigh the body down with stones, there's no way that a burial at sea happened! If there was no burial at sea, it wouldn't be a stretch to say their was no burial, and if their was no burial, why would their be a death?

I'm not necessarily saying their was no death, but it wouldn't be a stretch to think so.

Furthermore, seeing as how our president is a secret Muslim, why would he bring down a fellow Muslim? Why would a Muslim be mad that millions of Muslims were living in slums who's sole economy is the heroin trade? Don't they know that habitat is the only natural habitat for the Muslims? I should know, I paid three ghostwriters to type out this comment, and that always makes you right about things.

"Now Glenn," you ask, "why are you commentating on a movie sight in the middle of the night to spread your message when no one is going to see it anyway?"

It's all part of the plan, sure, those progressives at FOX think I'm a little too reactionary, my old ghostwriters think I'm a little unhinged, so I'm forced to hire homeless people off the street to do all my writing, the Goldline people won't speak to me anymore when I said that all known gold has been implanted with mind control chips by those Radical Islamic Reformed Jews, and the AM Radio station I used to work at is still mad at me for showing up drunk that one night and urinating on the sound equipment, but I won't let that stop me.

There's always a venue to stop the progressives, and I won't let things like "opposing arguments" get in the way of the things I'm told by from an eleven foot tall teddy bear I've known since I was seven who only I can see.

First, 9/11 was a farce, anyone looking through the obvious lies the Bush campaign made up can see that. The "attack" on the Pentagon is proof enough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paWiZ2Y8fRg&feature=related

What they did in the WTC was an abomination, that is true. But it doesn't change the fact that for that to happen the security at the airports had to be freaking pathetic, or they had help from inside. A false flag operation happened that day most likely, to gain the people's approval for the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. They claimed it was payback, that Al Qaeda was responsible, and that they had to pay, after all, they're terrorists. But the obvious reason was that they just wanted to get as many reserves of oil as they could, and 9/11 was the perfect excuse.

It just proves to what extent the USA rulers can go to justify their "war against terrorism", invading countries at their own leisure only to get whatever they need at the moment, by using brute force and opression. What about Guantanamo bay detention center? Wikileaks revealed some documents showing that over 150 inmates are innocent, and until now not a single one was released or had a fair trail. According to documents that Wikileaks released, among the innocent prisoners were an 89-year-old Afghan villager and a 14-year-old boy who had been kidnapped. Some men were imprisoned at Guantánamo simply because they wore a certain model of Casio watches, which had been used as timers by al-Qaeda. Obama said that Guantanamo would be closed, but held back on his word and this atrocity against human rights is still active. And it's also very peculiar that they just started shooting at Osama as some eye-witness said, they didn't even tried to arrest him. For sure they were afraid of what he could say if he had the chance. And this burial at the sea being an islamic ritual? Pure bullshit. Only some fanatic douchebag would belive this. Perhaps the same losers crying USA! USA! when they announced Osama's death. I don't belive a single word of those announcements, because Obama's administration is clearly desperate to find a morale boost for their pathetic low approval right now. Election time is coming right? You guys must be so proud.

Congrats, though! Now your country is safe. In other unrelated news, Iraq and Afghanistan are in shambles because of your fake war. No one here apparently cares about the people there that were hit by stray tomahawks right? The families that were torn apart by a senseless war.

Mas o que isso importa para vocês não é mesmo?

I never thought I'd say this, but, chief of medicine at Sacred Heart Hospital, Bob Kelso, makes a salient point.

My, I didn't see that coming. And I thought that those racists here were just joking! Silly me. "We killed another threat to mankind! Yipeee let's make a barbecue"

Bunch of self-righteous hypocrites. Don't forget to wave the flag when you're ordered to. Fucking drones.

*waves flag*

Suck it.

Posted by: ZombieMedic at May 3, 2011 12:45 PM

And there it is. Thank you sir, for being the first to state the obvious. I'm sure more will follow.

Also, this: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/05/01/president-obama-announces-bin-laden-still-dead/

Suck on that, patriotic loser. Time to take your captain america costume from the closet eh

*cracks open a beer, waves flag higher*

Shit on it all you want. Cut and paste links until your fingers fall the fuck off. I'm still smiling about it. Bias and all.

*cracks open a beer, ignores obamabot fanatic*

Gee Zombie, if you didn't warn me you give a shit about what I say I would never know! What a relief. Now put your tail between your legs and get ready to support the next war against terror. Now that's a good boy!