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Monday, May 2, 2011
Killing Bin Laden
The killing of Osama Bin Laden is an unalloyed good thing. Congratulation to all the American officials who contributed, and to any others who assisted.
and I hope that nobody will ever know where that burial place is
Osama bin Laden Is Buried at Sea
American officials said that Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a firefight with United States forces in Pakistan on Sunday, was taken to Afghanistan, and later buried at sea.
I presume Bin Laden was buried at sea so that his burial place would not become a place of pilgrimage for admirers. The Nazi war criminals who were tried and executed at the Nuremburg trials were cremated and their ashes dumped in a river for the same reason. Eichmann was also cremated and the ashes dumped at sea.
While this is indeed welcome news, the Americans have an unfortunate habit of both demonizing their enemies and, at the same time riduculing them. What I mean by "demonizing" is that they tend to inflate their importance and turn them into supermen of a sort, but, also at the same time, they show them as being slightly ridiculous. A classic example is that of Hitler, who is usually portrayed as a raving maniac who is either scowling or screaming at everyone. In reality he could be quite charming and he was quite a ladies man. That was his secret of success, at least in the early years. Someone who really fit the caricature would never rise to power. I think this demonization is wrong because it leads people to ignore truly dangerous opponents who don't fit the stereotype, as most don't. Thus, although the elimination of Bin Laden is welcome and shows that justice is done, the Jihadist threat will still exist even with his elimination.
That's how you beat a Muslim fanatic out of his 72 virgins? Bury him at sea? Now at best he might get himself a she-shark or two and pearled-oysters instead of pearled-skin boys.
and I hope that nobody will ever know where that burial place is
ReplyDeleteOsama bin Laden Is Buried at Sea
American officials said that Osama bin Laden, who was killed
in a firefight with United States forces in Pakistan on
Sunday, was taken to Afghanistan, and later buried at sea.
Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html?hp&emc=na
Buried at sea? Stupid! Stupid!
ReplyDeleteI presume Bin Laden was buried at sea so that his burial place would not become a place of pilgrimage for admirers. The Nazi war criminals who were tried and executed at the Nuremburg trials were cremated and their ashes dumped in a river for the same reason. Eichmann was also cremated and the ashes dumped at sea.
ReplyDeleteWhile this is indeed welcome news, the Americans have an unfortunate habit of both demonizing their enemies and, at the same time riduculing them. What I mean by "demonizing" is that they tend to inflate their importance and turn them into supermen of a sort, but, also at the same time, they show them as being slightly ridiculous. A classic example is that of Hitler, who is usually portrayed as a raving maniac who is either scowling or screaming at everyone. In reality he could be quite charming and he was quite a ladies man. That was his secret of success, at least in the early years. Someone who really fit the caricature would never rise to power. I think this demonization is wrong because it leads people to ignore truly dangerous opponents who don't fit the stereotype, as most don't.
Thus, although the elimination of Bin Laden is welcome and shows that justice is done, the Jihadist threat will still exist even with his elimination.
And for some (alwyas welcome) comic relief:
ReplyDeletehttp://nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=266578
That's how you beat a Muslim fanatic out of his 72 virgins? Bury him at sea? Now at best he might get himself a she-shark or two and pearled-oysters instead of pearled-skin boys.
ReplyDeletethey could have used an unmarked grave, no?
ReplyDeleteSylvia,
ReplyDeleteThe latest joke is that OBL gets 72 mermaids.
-Valerie
Yaacov,
ReplyDeleteAs this was an ongoing operation (to kill or capture OBL) I reserve my congratulations for the Navy Seals who got him.
-Valerie
Like I said........
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03burial.html?ref=global-home