Recent Events

[STEVIE]

I realise that there had to be some relief over the death Osama Bin-Laden. However, I found some of the news shots of the outright jubilation
a bit over the top.
I don't have any real perspective, other than the media, so comments please.
Steve.

[crfriend]

From a very personal perspective, I felt a sense of relief that they'd finally gotten the SOB; it was way overdue. However, to turn it into a carnival atmosphere, I feel is inappropriate; what was done was what needed doing: nothing more and nothing less.

I first learnt of it on the radio this morning on my way to the gas/petrol station to fuel my car; the radio stories never stated the outcome directly ('tis a short drive), but the papers on the news-stand called it out in big headlines. My formal comment to the attendant was, "I see they finally got the bastard. Good." No joy, just realisation that after altogether too many years this blot on humanity had been removed.

Work was a mix; a wiseguy on my team heard about it before making his fashion-statement for the day and opted for a T-shirt emblazoned with "chmod a+x /bin/laden" (a UNIX-geek way of saying, "allow everyone to execute the named file"), I was stuck with what I had on when I left the house. Overall, there was a sense of relief that this pernicious chapter had finally been closed out. The relief also extended to the several Muslims I work with, all of whom were horrified with al-Queda's tactics from the get-go.

The public displays of exuberance I find understandable, if a bit tasteless; this was not NAZI Germany we (the world) were up against. This was an extremist with altogether too much money, altogether too much charisma, and a truly warped sense of what he thought his religion was about.

Personally, I would have liked to see him taken alive, but operational contingencies intervened and "objective two" was undertaken. I just hope that bin Laden locked eyes with the soldier who pulled the trigger and the soldier saw the fear of a thug about to die. That's a bit more poetic than a missile-strike. In short, I am glad it is over.

[Kirbstone]

Amen.

[john62]

It has cost billions of dollars to catch this man, what would have happened if these billions were spent on schools/hospitals/infrastructure/job creation etc in countries such as Iraq/Afgan/Pakistan I suspect that if this did happen his influence would have disappeared very quickly. Yes it is good that he is gone, but this whole thing is to do with oil and keeping the whole region unstable so that others have the benefit, the powers that be on both sides care little for the people.

John62

[Milfmog]

My first though on seeing footage of jubilant crowds following the anouncement, was that they looked very like the scenes of jubilation that we saw in Gaza, The West Bank, Lebanon.... following the 9/11 attacks. I found those "celebrations" distasteful and the current crop are no better. However, we all recognise that there is natural elation on seeing the downfall of an opponent in major sporting events, it can hardly be surprising that the death of an enemy, particularly one who has been personally demonised by the mass media, causes a similar reaction.

Have fun,


Ian.

PS: For the avoidance of doubt; I will not be shedding any tears for the demise of this particular piece of human scum.

[RichardA]

OK he's dead, but someone else will take his place and he will be looking for vengeance so I don't see the point

[Milfmog]

OK he's dead, but someone else will take his place and he will be looking for vengeance so I don't see the point

I suspect that a major point is that, relative to 9/11, it will have a significant impact on the American national psyche. It is also likely to impact significantly in the consciousness of some of those who follow the doctrines he espoused. Sometimes just drawing a line under something can have a valuable effect, even if the line itself is of little value.

Irrespective of whether or not we believe it to be the right thing to do, it has been done; there is little value in debating it now.

Have fun,


Ian.

[DALederle]

I noticed that the youth throughout the world is now internet savy. And the Muslim youth, especially, are now clamoring for democracy. I think that the internet, which should stay free of government interfence (not that the governments will understand this), has shown them a better way to live their lives. So the old radicals and people like Osama are going to find themselves left behind as young people start to yearn for a better way to live their lives.
Its happened in Egypt and now other Muslim countries too.
That is a real hope for the future.
As far as celebrations...what we saw after the announcement was far less then we saw after the Muslim countries celebrated 9-11. So I think they should back off and give us some space.
Did we spend TOO much money getting him? Yes. But an awful lot of "peaceful" Muslims, who might have and probably knew things, just weren't going to give him up. But why give that money we would have spent on other countries. One of the greatest problems in the USA right now is we need vast amounts of infrastruture in our own country that has been thrown away and wasted by our politician on their pet projects and we are now headed for an economic collapse like the world has never seen before. Neither party, right now, can do enough to save us. And If the USA goes down the world will come down too. There won't be much left to argue over.
I can't really say I understand the Muslim mindset. It strikes me that Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all worshiping the same basic God. Each in our own way. So why shouldn't we get along.
But then, most of us on this board are wanting to wear skirts instead of pants and theats about as non threatening as you can get and yet we all have stories of insults or people who think we are wrong in what we want to do. Go figure! I never have.
He's dead but some other crazy will try and fill his shoes. If these people were really smart they'd be real threats.
So let's hope or pray for a better tomorrow!
Dennis A. Lederle

[kingfish]

To me, the fact that he will never initiate another act of wholesale murder is cause for celebration.
And from what I heard, he was given the opportunity to surrender, and chose his fate. At least it did saved us a few million dollars worth of legal costs.

[sapphire]

Dennis,
I find your comment regarding the internet and government interference a bit amusing. The genesis of the internet was a department of defense project.

[DALederle]

Sapphire:
You mean to say that it wasn't invented by Al Gore?????
Oh,no, he lied to us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always thought it was a think tank project so that university computers could share information.
The DOD? That is a new one on me.
I'll have to do a little research on this now.
But our federal and locel governments are all looking at ways to censor and TAX the internet in any way they can, being desperate for new sources of income so they can go on spending they way they want to. At our expense of course.
I really have no or little use for government except for national defence.
But that's just just me! And 50 cents gets you a cup of coffee! Well, maybe, I don't go out much and don't buy coffee anymore, even out of a machine. I never bought a stabucks and can't imagine paying for that!

Dennis A. Lederle
Grok?
Live Long and drink Starbucks?

[sapphire]

Hey Dennis,
Oh, that was just an AlGoreithm!

Yes, academia had hit the wall with timesharing and began research into heterogeous internetworking. But, let's set the wayback machine to 1957 when we lost the space race. In response, the government got freaked out and in 1958 created the Advanced Research Projects Agency under the DoD. In 1965, ARPA sponsors study on "cooperative network of time-sharing computers"

So we are both correct, the embryonic internet was a collaboration between academia and the DoD and early on ARPANET was available only to academia and the military..

Here's a nice reference: http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/

A tax on the internet? Aren't they already doing that through taxes on commsunications? And forms of censorship are already in place.

And I remember when television and radio were free too. And I remember the Beatles song "Taxman". And Starbucks never was worth it.

[DALederle]

Sapphire:
Thanks for the info!
I've also heard mention of the term DARPA. Meaning the Defense etc. etc.
I guess Al didn't invent the internet! Go figure! And I was all set to invest in his next project too!
NOT!
Dennis A. Lederle
Where no man has gone before?
Anyone know where that is?

[sapphire]

Dennis,
You are welcome. Yes, the "D" in DARPA is defense.

Al's latest project seems to be global warming. How inconvenient!

[DALederle]

Did you know that right after Al began his campaign about global warning some reporters (once and a while they do things right) discovered that Gore had a BIG investment in "green" companies that were all going to solve the problem for us?
Kind of interesting that Global Warming is also a need the Al Gore companies are supposed to handle.
H-m-m-m-m-m!
Let me think about that one!
Greedy, millionaire politician making a profit from a world wide problem that he is going to solve for us.
And he puts out a movie that wins awards that promote his point of view and the need for his green companies.
H-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-!
Yep! How do you spell hypocrisy! Al Gore!

Okay that my joke for today!
Dennis A. Lederle
Going Where No Man Has Gone Before!