Today there was only one subject every time I turned on the radio: taking Osama out, all the way out. Last night I turned in at 5 minutes to 1. Turned on the bedside radio to hear 5 minutes of news at 1, since I hadn't listened to any all day. Already, news voices talking excitedly, I got it right away something was up. Otherwise, it would have been classical music through the night. They were telling about a big crowd at the White House, 1am, and big crowd at Ground Zero. Sound from both places was celebratory, like at a football game, the evil one is dead. I had a hard time with that. If I'd lived in NY or DC, it would never have occurred to me after hearing the news of the day to leave the house and go to the White House to holler and yell outside the fence. Nor would it occur to me in NY to head for Ground Zero ready to party. What if nobody else went? Who thinks to run out of the house in pajamas to celebrate the end of Osama in a big crowd? Evidently a lot of people.
There has been talk on the radio all day, opinions pro and con celebrating somebody getting killed. In war, that's what it's about. Osama bin Laden was at war with the USA, a war of his own making. You don't go blowing up other people's property and expect nothing in return. He knew they'd get him one day. My feeling last night and today has been almost neither here nor there. In the big game of important people, he was riding the wave as Most Wanted. It must have been frightfully satisfying for his ego to have his name known round the world, as famous as the American President. Some people get their kicks in odd ways.
I didn't have much feeling when I heard the news that he'd been "killed." Did they ever wear that word out. I can't wait to see the action movie. But Hollywood would make another of the multi-star action pics of Stallone, VanDam, Seagal and Jacky Chan. It would be the worst movie of the year, but it would box office in the billions. I'd like to see it done a documentary by an independent director. In a few years netflix will have it, whatever it is. There will be several documentaries, Commando Action in Pakistan. Surely a book is already being written. It should be an interesting read. I find I have no passion about bin Laden, for or against. It's like hearing a mafia boss was shot. Another takes his place. Choose certain ways of life around killing and chances are you won't die of old age. That's the thrill of it. Testosterone rushes. A bullet in the head. He didn't even see the flash from the barrel following the exit of the bullet, didn't hear a thing.
I couldn't get excited about him when he lived, one way or the other. It never occurred to me to celebrate or feel any sorrow. He was a player, by choice. I can't get aroused to holler and cheer that the evil one has been killed, not that I feel any sorrow. I found myself curious for details, how they went about it and what happened. Eighteen foot walls. The Arabian Sea is the full length of Pakistan from where they found bin Laden, meaning they took the body to someplace in Afghanistan, got DNA samples, had it tested, took photographs and made other positive IDS, probably fingerprints too. It was a major flight to the Sea where they dumped him. Just like in an action movie. Great ending. The fish and crabs have probably picked his bones about clean by now.
I have no concern for him for the same reasons I have no concern for Cheney or Rummy. They're all about killing innocent people, crippling children for life; whichever side their allegiance is with happens to be God's favored side. Simultaneous with hearing of the killing, I saw a mental picture memory from YouTube of Saddam's hanging. The Iraq war was started, according to propaganda, to get and get rid of Saddam. When they caught him, it was incidental. By then the war was with the Iraqi people and executing him was merely a campaign promise. I can't accuse bin Laden of multiple deaths and feel like there's anything to it when my side is responsible for a whole hell of a lot more deaths and misery. When it comes to who is Mr Evil, I doubt Osama is out very far ahead, if indeed ahead, of Cheney, Rummy, Bush and Rice when it comes to who is most deserving. Might put a few of the Supremes in the running too.
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