Thursday, May 05, 2011
Bad Manners and Unease
Is it bad etiquette for a Navy SEAL to yell, "Boom! Head shot!"?
When the towers fell almost ten years ago, I wanted the individuals responsible to pay dearly. I was consumed with anger and revenge. While justice was served this past Sunday, I feel uneasy that others are celebrating. It feels wrong. I can't put a label to my unease, but it just doesn't seem right. It's not like life is back to normal in America. There's still too much fear and heavy handedness/bad security theater by the authorities. If we don't revert back to something approaching a pre-9/11 society, OBL will have the last laugh because he would have destroyed something precious in our society.
Osama was not the only casualty of the operation. It looks like American-Pakistan relations is a bigger casualty than bin Laden. It's difficult to believe that he wasn't being shielded by elements of the Pakistani government or intelligence community.
When the towers fell almost ten years ago, I wanted the individuals responsible to pay dearly. I was consumed with anger and revenge. While justice was served this past Sunday, I feel uneasy that others are celebrating. It feels wrong. I can't put a label to my unease, but it just doesn't seem right. It's not like life is back to normal in America. There's still too much fear and heavy handedness/bad security theater by the authorities. If we don't revert back to something approaching a pre-9/11 society, OBL will have the last laugh because he would have destroyed something precious in our society.
Osama was not the only casualty of the operation. It looks like American-Pakistan relations is a bigger casualty than bin Laden. It's difficult to believe that he wasn't being shielded by elements of the Pakistani government or intelligence community.
Labels: assassination etiquette
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Hi John
I to was uneasy with images of US students cheering all night at the death of this enemy. The West mustn't lower itself to the exaltation of some crowds in the Middle East who cheered when the Towers came down.
I wouldn't worry too much about sensibilities of the Pakistani military, ISI and religious extremists who are the real puppet-masters of the country. They are highly cynical and worldly.
They would have expected OBL to be knocked off sooner or later.
In any case Predator/Reaper airstrikes regularly occur in Pakistan - often with tragic results (killing of civilians) because AQ leaders use their families as human shields.
Pete
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I to was uneasy with images of US students cheering all night at the death of this enemy. The West mustn't lower itself to the exaltation of some crowds in the Middle East who cheered when the Towers came down.
I wouldn't worry too much about sensibilities of the Pakistani military, ISI and religious extremists who are the real puppet-masters of the country. They are highly cynical and worldly.
They would have expected OBL to be knocked off sooner or later.
In any case Predator/Reaper airstrikes regularly occur in Pakistan - often with tragic results (killing of civilians) because AQ leaders use their families as human shields.
Pete
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