We got the elimination of the chance OBL would kill more innocents and the potential deterring effect this might have on other terrorists... plus good old revenge.
Guess we're just not as evolved as you forgiving types.
D.
It’s Time to Dump Chomsky into the Wastebasket of History
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Guess we're just not as evolved as you forgiving types.
D.
"If you can't figure by now I'm not going to play"..
.................
"That point has been raised and discussed by many people, on TERB, in the media, and by the the government. If you still don't get by now, perhaps you never will."
Pretty damn close. But thanks for (not) trying. Couldn't make your apparent simple point.
Granted OBL can't pull any more triggers, but I wasn't aware that was what made him dangerous. Somehow I can't believe that until OBL was killed, AQ members thought they were immortal—gives a whole new meaning to their oft-used 'martyr' terminology—so I can't see the slightest deterrent effect. Whether they're 'enemy combattants' or soldiers, when you join a war dying is one of the possibilities. And of course there's the other: that they get smarter, more resourceful and split up their leadership. Look up Hercules and the Hydra.
And I'll grant you your "unevolved", which is definitely one of the reasons we aren't doing much in the way of winning hearts and minds. They can see our words are empty.
Of course OBL was never going to directly kill anyone himself; it's not very becoming to be deliberately obtuse [a la Fuji].
If you can't see the slightest chance it is a deterrent then you should try to look with a more open mind. Obviously OBL wanted to live or he wouldn't have tried so hard to hide for so long and the same applies to the most other terrorists [a reasonable person would assume]. It will probably make anyone tempted to assist these fanatics a bit more reluctant given the US's demonstrated ability and determination to eliminate them whatever rock they hide under. Another probable benefit will be the extra care they will need to take to communicate to conceal their locations; this can only help slow down and interfere with their ability to plan and carry out atrocities.
As far as the risk that eliminating the leader will make them more dangerous overall, I will live with the miniscule chance that chopping off the head ends in a more dangerous organization. Another fable I don't believe in is that you can win these people over by treating them reasonably. I'd rather keep exterminating the worst and then see if the moderates and progressives can then be reasoned with. I hardly think the hardcore fundamentalists really listen to the Beatles and subscribe to their take on love that you quote.
In the end, the actual course of action will probably fall between my unevolved approach and your oh so civilized path. In the meantime I am just enjoying the glow from seeing the most notorious terrorist erradicated. It is a sweeter dish when served cold.
D.
Gosh, if only Hitler or Churchill had been so "unevolved", they coulda ended WWII in the first year; no one would have carried on. I guess your take on why Qaddafi hasn't yet been done, is that neither side—who've already killed more Libyans between them than OBL killed Americans—is "moderate or reasonable" so letting them exterminate each other is doing Democracy's work.
But while you're enjoying the glow from your cold dish (your metaphors) do note that terrorism experts already account the Yemeni branch of AQ as more dangerous than OBL's withered one.
And just for fun, Google Otto Skorzeny Gran Sasso.
But while you're enjoying the glow from your cold dish (your metaphors) do note that terrorism experts already account the Yemeni branch of AQ as more dangerous than OBL's withered one.
And just for fun, Google Otto Skorzeny Gran Sasso.
The West can't deal with all the despots in the world but those who commit terrorism against the West should be hunted down. Qaddafi isn't an imminent threat to us so I am not that concerned about his fate.
Now that OBL is removed then some of those US resources can now be directed towards Yemen so that is another benefit of OBL's death [unless you are implying that Yemen's threat is due to OBL dying?]. Assuming you can't tame the Hydra, all you can do is keep chopping the most threatening heads off.
The Gran Sasso story is interesting; perhaps I should have taken more history classes.
D.
I don't know about that. I would agree that he wasn't one before, but now that we've sent warplanes to bomb his home and kill his children I am guessing that if he gets the opportunity he will strike back any way he can.
Once you kick over the beehive I think you have to kill the Queen bee, or you're going to get stung.
Possibly a future threat if he survives but he does have a lot on his plate these days staying ahead of the fighter jets!
D.
