Topic: Osama Bin Laden is dead.

[K-man]

Aside from the overall joy everyone is feeling right now, how important is it now?  What implications does it have for the Afghanistan campaign?

Also, can't you pretty well guarantee some sort of retaliatory strike?

[idolminds]

I was thinking the same, doesn't really feel that important. Its not like that organization is going to crumble and go away now that hes dead.

Not sure what to make of "retaliatory strikes" and how they would differ from regular ones.

[Cobra951]

Aside from the overall joy everyone is feeling right now, how important is it now?  What implications does it have for the Afghanistan campaign?

Also, can't you pretty well guarantee some sort of retaliatory strike?

Psychologically, huge.  Al Qaeda has reportedly moved mostly to Pakistan and Yemen since we invaded Afghanistan, so I'm not sure. 

And yes.  Bring it.  Idol, I know what you mean, but I still think a higher state of readiness would be prudent on our part.  This may shake a lot of monkeys off the tree.  Get those nets ready.

[idolminds]

Best internet comment so far:

WHERES THE DEATH CERTIFICATE?

[Cobra951]

Hahaha!  Only the long form will do.

[Ghandi]

Wow, this is huge.

As far as retaliation, our security will surely be on high alert after this. I mean, it's pretty much guaranteed that they will at least try something.

[angrykeebler]

AMERICA FUCK YEAH

[Cools!]

It's great publicity, but I don't think it'll change much. The next person in the chain of command will take over. You kill one, another one will spring up. I don't think there will be some sort of inside struggle that will break up al-Qaeda anytime soon. Osama is now a martyr and it'll keep galvanizing their cause.

[idolminds]

Runner up comment:

Osama Bin Laden really shouldn't have used his real address on PSN.

[Cools!]

Haha

[Pugnate]

hahahaha that PSN comment is awesome.

[Pugnate]

[scottws]

Personally, I would rather he had been captured and tried but I suppose this is good too.

And haha, I love the comments relayed here.

[shock]

How do you all feel about the impromptu celebrations after the announcement of his death?  I live in DC and a few of my roommates went to the White House, but I didn't really feel that it was particularly appropriate.  Maybe I still have those post 9/11 videos of people cheering the attack still seared into my mind.  That said, for people my age (early 20s), I do think his actions have had an even more influential impact on us as a generation (because it occurred when we were young).  So in a way, I guess it symbolized the end of the violence and fear that defined the last half of our lives.  However, celebrating death is still a little iffy to me.

Thoughts?

[Cobra951]

Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead, man.

Edit:  While watching the events unfold, I thought of what you said about the crowd of college students.  They were all kids when this happened over half of their lives ago.  I thought about growing up with a real-life evil monster in your thoughts, and wondered if perhaps it had been more traumatic or life-defining for them than it was for me.  But the fact was that 9/11 changed everyone's life in this country in a bad way.  A lot of the big problems we've had since are a direct consequence of it.  What killing the fucker does is provide a palpable morale boost to us all.  I wanted to be in that crowd.  I wanted to break open a champagne bottle, but Sandy was going swimming early in the morning, and she had to go to sleep shortly after the news.  I was with that crowd in spirit, with a big, stupid grin on my face.

[Cobra951]

I like how Fareed Zakaria thinks, a lot.  I think his GPS program is the best thing on CNN.  So imagine my reaction when I read his analysis on the effect of bin Laden's death on Al Qaeda.  When others claimed it is a death blow, I dismissed it as naive.  When he proposes and explains it, I'm not so quick to wave it away.  Give it a read.  It's a short piece.

[scottws]

How do you all feel about the impromptu celebrations after the announcement of his death?  I live in DC and a few of my roommates went to the White House, but I didn't really feel that it was particularly appropriate.  Maybe I still have those post 9/11 videos of people cheering the attack still seared into my mind.  That said, for people my age (early 20s), I do think his actions have had an even more influential impact on us as a generation (because it occurred when we were young).  So in a way, I guess it symbolized the end of the violence and fear that defined the last half of our lives.  However, celebrating death is still a little iffy to me.

Thoughts?

I agree with you completely.  I don't think it's right to celebrate the fact that he was killed.  I would have celebrated his capture, but the fact that he was actually killed should not be celebrated.  How can one celebrate death like that?  I could never do that, even for someone I hate.

[scottws]

So yeah I'm hearing about the inevitable conspiracy theory that this whole thing is all propaganda by the U.S. and that bin Laden is not dead.  Hello you idiots!  If bin Laden isn't dead, then all he has to do is get another video to Al Jazeera saying "Hey, it's <x> date and I'm not dead".  This isn't like the moon, Kennedy or other things that have elements that it is very difficult or impossible to be sure of.  If no new video that was filmed after the raid ever comes out, then we know.

[Cobra951]

Those people are random noise, just exactly like the moon-landing deniers.  In the end, the new noise will matter as little as the old, or less.  It's not like we have to go a quarter-million miles to laugh at it.

I've been purposely avoiding it.  There is too much of real importance being said to bother with tripe.

[gpw11]

Those people are random noise, just exactly like the moon-landing deniers.  In the end, the new noise will matter as little as the old, or less.  It's not like we have to go a quarter-million miles to laugh at it.

I've been purposely avoiding it.  There is too much of real importance being said to bother with tripe.

This.  People will come up with absolutely anything and explain away any logical fallacy. We need those people, but best to ignore.

Anyways, I don't really see the big deal. Well, I do but I mean, it's one dude.

[Cobra951]

So was Adolf.

[gpw11]

Little bit different.

[Pugnate]

hehehe

[Cobra951]

Heh!  He's right.  One was a German genocidal megalomaniac.

[PyroMenace]

I usually don't like to comment on stuff like this but for me I don't think it matters much. He's one extremist that thousands of others like him will rise to replace. He's just a face that America has symbolized as terrorism.

[gpw11]

Heh!  He's right.  One was a German genocidal megalomaniac.

Heh.  Wow.

[Cobra951]

I usually don't like to comment on stuff like this but for me I don't think it matters much. He's one extremist that thousands of others like him will rise to replace. He's just a face that America has symbolized as terrorism.

Thousands of others like him haven't brought 2 skyscrapers full of people crashing down on Manhattan.  Those were a bit too solid to classify as just symbolism.  Thousands of other terrorists are not like him.  They lack the charisma and the oceans of money to put together a SPECTRE-like organization.  In chess, you go after the king, not the pawns.  They don't amount to much without him.

[PyroMenace]

Maybe it was a little luck on their part and a big lack of decent airport security on ours, maybe not. I still believe that killing the man did little to nothing to make a dent, the damage he did is already done.

[Ghandi]

I still believe that killing the man did little to nothing to make a dent, the damage he did is already done.

If you look at the two guys (or really one guy) who will take over Al Qaeda, he isn't as inspirational or charismatic a figure as Bin Laden. And in the field that these guys are in, you need that.

I've read tons recently about how they were shocked at how Bin Laden was still the mastermind behind Al Qaeda and how he basically controlled everything on a large scale. They pinned him as a figurehead before this. But, then, all of that information is coming from the American intelligence community so who knows.

[angrykeebler]

WHAT THE WHAT?? Bin laden's dead??


WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN

[Pugnate]

So now the real reason why I have been away for so long comes to light.

It was a joint effort involving me, Raisa, and Raisa's baby.

Basically, Raisa and I did nothing. Well, Raisa gave birth, I trained the baby, and the baby killed Bin Laden.

I was actually training the baby to target a certain slanty eyed mofo who frequents OW, but Raisa's baby was clever to my ways.

[Xessive]

Raisa's Baby a.k.a. The Inside Man (literally)!

[angrykeebler]

So now the real reason why I have been away for so long comes to light.

It was a joint effort involving me, Raisa, and Raisa's baby.

Basically, Raisa and I did nothing. Well, Raisa gave birth, I trained the baby, and the baby killed Bin Laden.

I was actually training the baby to target a certain slanty eyed mofo who frequents OW, but Raisa's baby was clever to my ways.

The baby is a double agent and works for me. HE IS COMING FOR YOU NOW

[K-man]

Maybe it was a little luck on their part and a big lack of decent airport security on ours, maybe not. I still believe that killing the man did little to nothing to make a dent, the damage he did is already done.

You can't overlook the obvious psychological victory it gives people in the US.  Hell if it brings the slightest bit of closure to those that were directly affected by the attacks it was worth it. 

[Cobra951]

Not to mention the boon to the intelligence community, starting with knowing where he was, and not expending resources on finding him anymore.

[Cobra951]

Not wanting to start another thread, welcome to the party, pals.