Why I Don't Feel Much About Osama's Death

[Better Believe It]

May 5, 2011

A Cold Feeling
Why I Don't Feel Much About Osama's Death
By GARY LEUPP

What do I feel? First of all, a kind of matter-of-fact appreciation of the report that a mass murderer is no more for this world. His death was his hubris and his karma.

But when I see crowds of Americans waving the flag, singing patriotic songs, and chanting “USA! USA!” I feel a little nauseated. How can anyone aware of what the U.S. is doing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen and Libya feel nationalistic pride at this moment in history?

When I watch NBC’s Brian Williams eagerly prompting CIA director Leon Panneta to affirm that “enhanced interrogation methods” facilitated bin Laden’s killing, implicitly justifying the water-boarding torture chambers of Guantanamo, I feel sickened further.

But the nature of the death---by assassination, illegally, in a foreign country---fills me with disgust. The lies that immediately accompanied it (just as the U.S. UN ambassador was falsely claiming that Gaddafi’s forces in Libya were being rationed Viagra so as to better rape members of the opposition!) repulse me too. “Fierce firefight”! Doesn’t that make the assassins seem heroic? Wife used as “human shield”! Doesn’t that make bin Laden seem all the more evil? (Recall the false stories that accompanied the capture of Panama’s Manuel Noriega, including the cocaine that turned out to be tamale flour; or that surrounded the attack on Iraq in 1991, including the lie that Iraqi forces invading Kuwait had slaughtered prematurely born babies dragged from incubators in the hospital.) It is amazing what people will believe, disgusting to observe how rulers exploit their gullibility.

Read the full article at:

http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp05052011.html

[dkf]

1. This guy feels more strongly against his country than the man who wants him dead.

That is sick.

[sabrina 1]

3. Actually, he loves his country far more than those who support

Bush's vision of what this country should be, a lying, brutal empire that uses torture as a policy and a media that lies and helps to justify the war crimes and attempt to make them acceptable to decent human beings.

The warped idea of what makes a person a true patriot in this country is disturbing and it means that the war criminals have succeeded in their goals.

Everything he points out in this article is true.

Let me ask you something as someone who, presumably loves your country. Do you want this country to lie its way into wars, to approve of torture and justify it, as a policy. Illegally invade other countries, disrespect their sovereignty by entering their airspace without their knowledge etc.? Is that your idea of loving your country, or would you prefer that the world sees your country as a moral, truthful country that respects human rights and condemns the use of torture, that holds its own war criminals accountable and respects the rule of law??

[dkf]

8. You know what? I hate the person who wants me dead more than I hate anyone else.

It's like your instinct for survival has been completely drowned in niceties.

[kath]

26. +100.

great post.

[Better Believe It]

6. So you think the writer is an unpatriotic, disloyal, Anti-American person who hates America?

If not, you might want to edit your comment.

[dkf]

9. I do think his anger is misplaced.

I get that for some It's more important to be self righteous than to save your fellow citizens. I pick us.

[Pholus]

11. Yes, you gave the desired response.

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.asp

A bit jarring to see republican tactics of questioning patriotism front and center on DU though.

[dkf]

17. Oh for gods sakes. Are we screening our planes for no purpose whatsoever?

A government plot to hire TSA agents perhaps?

Having people look through my bag at Disneyland...at any sports event I go to? All for no reason whatsoever but just to scare me? Maybe Bin Laden is a plant by our Government too right? Puhleeze.

[Pholus]

25. Well that is a question and a valid one. Have you tried answering it? Seriously, I mean.

Even though you meant that as some sort of belittlement, you have reached the core of this issue. We have been asked to fundamentally alter our lives because of 9/11. Remember the term "pre-9/11 mindset" applied to our liberties? To our right to privacy? To our right to travel or in fact to be able to speak without needing to "watch what we say" without some agency somewhere entering it in a "loyalty dossier?" About the discussions on torture and rendition? About the costs, the deployments, the deficit, the side-adventures that seemed to have little to do with rolling up the madman, the fact that we're about to build the largest building since the pentagon to support internal security and on and on and on?

You've been here a while, I think. What were you posting when DimSon was rolling out yet another encroachment on our rights as part of a war on a nebulous concept? I'd have loved to have seen you try to squash dissent back then with the words you're using now. Wasn't there a widespread worry that these things were happening and we could never reach a status where we could declare it "over?"

It isn't going to be over. We got the monster and I think we're all happy, even the poster who you think is sick. But people react to this in different ways and some of them obviously violate what forms of reactions you find acceptable which seems to be a requirement of rapturous celebration.

I'm glad to see Osama feeding some fish, but I guess I have a longer view than you and in that way I'll pass on the wild celebrations just yet.

[Puregonzo1188]

16. "Fellow citizens?" How about your fellow humans? Are we really supposed to care about dead Iraqis,

Afghans, Pakistanis, Yemenis, Palestinians, Salvadorans, Panamanians, Nicaraguans, Cubans, Vietnamese, etc just because they aren't Americans?

I resent that any life must perish, even though I know sometimes it may necessary--and I mourn equally all civilians who were needlessly murdered whether they down on 9/11 or in a drone strike.

This government has a lot of blood on its hands which is part of the reason why people like bin Laden exist in the first place. Imperialism is a dangerous game.

Martin Luther King said that his own government was the "greatest purveyor of violence"--what do you think about that?

[dkf]

19. I care about you more than I care about someone in another country.

So sue me.

I would prefer you had a job more than I prefer we ship your job out to someone in China too.

[Puregonzo1188]

22. That's the kind of attitude that leads to people like Osama.

I care about the lives of my fellow Muslims living under occupation, sanctions, and US-backed dictators so I don't mind if I kill a couple thousand Americans i the process.


Think about it.

[dkf]

24. So you would rather I hope a poor Chinese person got your job?

I guess I could do that.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. "I feel a little nauseated"

Me, too.

Literally.

[sabrina 1]

4. Me too ~

[snagglepuss]

5. The last two paragraphs not incl in the OP about Obama's "Yes We Can" meme are searing.

Thanks for posting. This is one of the best commentaries I've read about the assassination. K & R

[zappaman]

7. What assassination?

I heard that an enemy got shot, but nothing about an assassination...

[snagglepuss]

20. Commandos raiding an unarmed household, meeting no significant resistance,

significant resistance, and shootingt bin Laden to death. "This is what we call assassination."

snip

Now, maybe assassination is good sometimes. But this operation plainly violates a host of U.S. and international laws. It reflects the general Israelification of U.S. policy. Present yourself as the victim of the world---never asking why you’re hated or what you’ve done to deserve such loathing---and wrap yourself in self-righteousness. Assert your right to lash out at any foes, regardless of international law.

[Swede]

10. How does he feel about this photo?

[Better Believe It]

12. How do you think he felt about 9/11? The same way I and most of us here feel.

But, what are you really suggesting with your comment?

Let's not beat around the bush now.

[Swede]

13. The guy that orchestrated that photo got taken out.

During a time of war.

[Better Believe It]

14. You've dodged answering my question.

[Puregonzo1188]

15. I don't mourn for Osama, but I can never understand with all the civilians every US administration

has killed, more than Osama ever did, how we can have such hypocritical double standards. About the same number of civilians died in Afghanistan last year than on September 11.

What kind of justice does that warrant?

None, I know--American lives are the only ones that matter.

[leftstreet]

18. +1

:-(

[Puregonzo1188]

23. Thanks, could me to meet a fellow DUer who has completely lost his/her perspective.

[uppityperson]

21. I feel relief but not patriotism or nationalism.