Osama Bin Laden is dead!

Yeah this sounds like a Rainbow Six op.

The sheer number of "Does this mean we can get rid of the TSA?" people I've seen is kind of astounding.

Really? That's where your mind goes first?

Also: No. The crazies that followed this nutjob will now be more driven than they've been in years to do yet more crazy things.

I do give bin Laden credit for going out a fighter instead of, you know...

IMAGE(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/SaddamSpiderHole.jpg/220px-SaddamSpiderHole.jpg)

The SEALs who fired those shots will never have to pay for a beer for the rest of their lives.

So, remind me, I'm lazy, if this went down a week ago, where is that in relation to the birth certificate business? Because I like to imagine Obama watching the right wing pundits say "Well, he just perpetuates the story now!" and laughing.

Well here's the speech text and here's a youtube video of it as well.

He says "Today, at my direction..." when talking about the attack.

Thin_J wrote:

The sheer number of "Does this mean we can get rid of the TSA?" people I've seen is kind of astounding.

Really? That's where your mind goes first?

Also: No. The crazies that followed this nutjob will now be more driven than they've been in years to do yet more crazy things.

It's a joke because many of us thought there were many overreactions after 9/11. Overreactions that didn't make us any safer. I think it's natural for some of us to hope that, as a country, the US can move on and stop living in a constant state of fear.

They just interviewed a group of girls that were woo-woo'ing like they were at the club. It made me a little sick.

iaintgotnopants wrote:

They just interviewed a group of girls that were woo-woo'ing like they were at the club. It made me a little sick.

It's odd. It's definitely really odd. The thing that's been very strange about 9/11, though, especially as we've launched multiple wars following it, is that there has never been a "V-E Day". There has never been a definitive "hey, we won" moment. I'm not terribly surprised.

I was waiting for Obama, at the end of his speech, to raise his hand and have a big banner drop down behind him that said "Mission Accomplished."

Also, did anybody else notice his little swagger-walk as he left the podium tonight?

I would also say that the celebrations are odd. We'll see what tomorrow will bring, I suppose...

Nevermind that Al-Qaeda recently threatened a "nuclear hellstorm" in Europe if he was killed.

Tomorrow will be an interesting day.

DSGamer wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

They just interviewed a group of girls that were woo-woo'ing like they were at the club. It made me a little sick.

It's odd. It's definitely really odd. The thing that's been very strange about 9/11, though, especially as we've launched multiple wars following it, is that there has never been a "V-E Day". There has never been a definitive "hey, we won" moment. I'm not terribly surprised.

I think a lot of this excitement is that this is a definitive moment like you said, people can point to it, who have no military or strategic understanding, and know that it is a "win" for our side and a goal they had once been passionate about 10 years ago. In addition, there isn't honestly much that people have to celebrate on the large scale these days. Every time you turn on the news is bad news, economics, crimes, loss of life stateside and abroad..someone pointed out about the Royal Wedding that it was so watched because people NEEDED something to be excited and happy about. I think this falls into that category. Its something that lets the average man know "hey, we are making progress, this isn't going to last forever, things will get better." (even if it won't be a fast process.)

HopeChest wrote:

In fact, looks like a pep rally, complete with girls doing basket catches. God Bless America.

Is it just me, or did Obama's hair seem a lot less gray in that speech?

Also, yeah, I think someone wanted to look a little younger, a little less haggered and a little more ready to put up a strong front for the world at large(cause you know they are all watching).

Holla: yeah, I wonder if it's the feeling of relief this must have given him--it's amazing what stress can do to the human body. He seemed to have aged twenty years since he was elected. Being able to walk out there, give that speech, and walk off like that looks to have taken about ten of those years off.

Holla wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

They just interviewed a group of girls that were woo-woo'ing like they were at the club. It made me a little sick.

It's odd. It's definitely really odd. The thing that's been very strange about 9/11, though, especially as we've launched multiple wars following it, is that there has never been a "V-E Day". There has never been a definitive "hey, we won" moment. I'm not terribly surprised.

I think a lot of this excitement is that this is a definitive moment like you said, people can point to it, who have no military or strategic understanding, and know that it is a "win" for our side and a goal they had once been passionate about 10 years ago. In addition, there isn't honestly much that people have to celebrate on the large scale these days. Every time you turn on the news is bad news, economics, crimes, loss of life stateside and abroad..someone pointed out about the Royal Wedding that it was so watched because people NEEDED something to be excited and happy about. I think this falls into that category. Its something that lets the average man know "hey, we are making progress, this isn't going to last forever, things will get better." (even if it won't be a fast process.)

I'm still not sure this is a win, more another casualty.

I know a lot of people died on September 11, and it's very hard to imagine the impact that kind of event has on a country's people (unless you were in Japan towards the end of WW2), and my thoughts and sympathies go out to those people, but cheering an anouncement of death just seems wrong.

I would have liked this kind of reaction from peace talks with the region (like when Reagan and Gorbachev 'ended' the cold war) or a break through in foreign policy that addressed the animosity and driving factors that mitigated the attack on that day. It will never happen, but I could fully justify the dancing in the streets then.

I'm with iaintgotnopants, this just seems a little morbid/macabre.

Coincidentally, it happened on the eighth anniversary of this:
IMAGE(http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bush-mission-accomplished.jpg)

ruhk wrote:

Coincidentally, it happened on the eighth anniversary of this:
IMAGE(http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bush-mission-accomplished.jpg)

How ridiculous does that look now?

m0nk3yboy: I don't think it's about cheering the announcement of a death, I think it's about cheering the announcement that someone didn't get away with what they had done. I don't think there would be any less cheering if he'd been captured alive.

m0nk3yboy wrote:
Holla wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

They just interviewed a group of girls that were woo-woo'ing like they were at the club. It made me a little sick.

It's odd. It's definitely really odd. The thing that's been very strange about 9/11, though, especially as we've launched multiple wars following it, is that there has never been a "V-E Day". There has never been a definitive "hey, we won" moment. I'm not terribly surprised.

I think a lot of this excitement is that this is a definitive moment like you said, people can point to it, who have no military or strategic understanding, and know that it is a "win" for our side and a goal they had once been passionate about 10 years ago. In addition, there isn't honestly much that people have to celebrate on the large scale these days. Every time you turn on the news is bad news, economics, crimes, loss of life stateside and abroad..someone pointed out about the Royal Wedding that it was so watched because people NEEDED something to be excited and happy about. I think this falls into that category. Its something that lets the average man know "hey, we are making progress, this isn't going to last forever, things will get better." (even if it won't be a fast process.)

I don't really like the celebration of someone's death either, I'm more excited about the bigger picture and what Osama stood for, and hopefully thats what people will take away from this. If you look at the moral boost, the accomplishment of a goal, then it is a win, and while it will undoubtedly stir up the Taliban and they will fill the leadership position, it sets them back, maybe will make them lash out and make a mistake, allowing our troops to do their thing.
I'm still not sure this is a win, more another casualty.

I know a lot of people died on September 11, and it's very hard to imagine the impact that kind of event has on a country's people (unless you were in Japan towards the end of WW2), and my thoughts and sympathies go out to those people, but cheering an anouncement of death just seems wrong.

I would have liked this kind of reaction from peace talks with the region (like when Reagan and Gorbachev 'ended' the cold war) or a break through in foreign policy that addressed the animosity and driving factors that mitigated the attack on that day. It will never happen, but I could fully justify the dancing in the streets then.

I'm with iaintgotnopants, this just seems a little morbid/macabre.

HopeChest wrote:

m0nk3yboy: I don't think it's about cheering the announcement of a death, I think it's about cheering the announcement that someone didn't get away with what they had done. I don't think there would be any less cheering if he'd been captured alive.

I get that (truely I do).

It's really hard to appreciate it's significance for America from such an external point of reference.

Spoiler:

I guess personally I am grappling with the question of 'why?' on a much larger scale, relative to humanity as a whole.

HopeChest wrote:

m0nk3yboy: I don't think it's about cheering the announcement of a death, I think it's about cheering the announcement that someone didn't get away with what they had done. I don't think there would be any less cheering if he'd been captured alive.

I agree with this.

I also think that there is nothing to be apologetic about when feeling good about the demise of evil and wickedness in our midst.

Stele wrote:

Yeah this sounds like a Rainbow Six op.

Do we get to fire Rainbow Six 3 back up now?

I'm still just tickled that NBC interrupted "Celebrity Apprentice" for this. THAT WAS THE PLAN ALL ALONG, WASN'T IT?!?!?

Coldstream wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

No nobody knows who got fired.

We were too busy finding out who got fired on!

I won't celebrate the death of another human, but I will confess to just a small feeling of catharsis at the news, and the hope that in a small way this will help us move on as a nation.

It will not, however, end human stupidity, so don't let the inevitable wave of moronic complaints/commentary harsh your mellow, people. Personally, I'm looking forward to hearing Fox News spin this one. Should be epic.

The way I look at it is Bin Laden renounced his humanity a long, long time ago. I wish I could feel sorry for his death, but honestly I don't.

Prederick wrote:

I'm still just tickled that NBC interrupted "Celebrity Apprentice" for this. THAT WAS THE PLAN ALL ALONG, WASN'T IT?!?!?

It hasn't been a good week for Trump.

Apparently the mansion where this all went down is on fire.... So much for gathering evidence there.

DSGamer wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

They just interviewed a group of girls that were woo-woo'ing like they were at the club. It made me a little sick.

It's odd. It's definitely really odd. The thing that's been very strange about 9/11, though, especially as we've launched multiple wars following it, is that there has never been a "V-E Day". There has never been a definitive "hey, we won" moment. I'm not terribly surprised.

It's hard to win a War on Terror, the language is too vague. You can win every battle and still never end the war.

i38warhawk wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

They just interviewed a group of girls that were woo-woo'ing like they were at the club. It made me a little sick.

It's odd. It's definitely really odd. The thing that's been very strange about 9/11, though, especially as we've launched multiple wars following it, is that there has never been a "V-E Day". There has never been a definitive "hey, we won" moment. I'm not terribly surprised.

It's hard to win a War on Terror, the language is too vague. You can win every battle and still never end the war.

Indeed. I'll go wave flags and sing in front of the White House when Gitmo is closed, the Patriot Act repealled and our foreign wars ended.

I'm still not sure how I feel about parts of this, certainly in part reactions to this, but I certainly understand. And I won't waste a fraction of a tear over OBL. That Mark Twain quote is very, very apt.

Apparently CNN is reporting that Bin Laden has been buried at sea? If this is true that seems screwy.

President Obama wrote:

After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

I know it's parsing words but when I read this it almost seems to say that they killed Osama after the fighting was over. Did they not want him alive? Is it better/safer that we killed he him?