Monday, May 02, 2011

I would have preferred to see Osama in a US courtroom

One wonders if it will be possible to conclude these never-ending wars.

Jerry Coyne articulates my thoughts precisely:
And the sight of Americans driving around Washington, D.C., honking their horns and shouting “USA! USA!” is unseemly and embarrassing. bin Laden was a vicious criminal who killed many innocent people, and his death does constitute a type of justice. I would have preferred a trial—although its outcome would have been inevitable—rather than execution, but there was presumably no choice. But his summary execution was a necessary evil, not an excuse for a party.
Maybe a trial on US soil would have been a farce on both sides. I don't know. Still, I find it hard to be "happy" that he was killed. I don't mind it, certainly, but I cannot help seeing the terrorism, the wars, the profiteering, the grandstanding, the religious fervor, the rhetoric, the maimed, the scarred, and the dead. I have no idea what to celebrate.

1 comment:

  1. > One wonders if it will be possible to conclude these never-ending wars.

    Probably not. Chimps also fight wars. We seem to be hardwired for it.

    I agree with you. Osama Bin Laden’s death was necessary, even a good thing, but celebrating it is obscene.

    If nothing else, it’s far too reminiscent of Muslim crowds celebrating suicide bombings or the execution of Westerners.

    ReplyDelete

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