So 86 per cent of Americans approved of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden.
The only advantage from this reprehensible act is, possibly, electoral votes for President Obama.
Putting aside Osama Bin Laden, along with fanatical extremists of any religion who act equally as dangerously and crazily, they are still entitled to a civilised trial in a regular Court of Law.
In the first instance the USA’s action, in not respecting another nation’s sovereignty is nothing unusua. This is something they do regularly, when assassinating, kidnapping, “Renditioning”, or invading.
These activities are not confined to America. Israel, remember France’s Greenpeace incursion in NZ? The USA was, quite rightly, incensed at the attack on their soil in 9/11, but indignantly and hypocritically have no qualms when using the same actions themselves.
Bin Laden, evidently unarmed, was not given an opportunity to surrender to an overwhelmingly superior armed force invading his bedroom.
Initially it was claimed his murdered wife was used as a human shield.
It is more likely that she threw herself in front of her husband to protect him, in the mistaken belief soldiers wouldn’t shoot an unarmed woman. She was so wrong; it has never stopped other unwarranted killings of unarmed innocents. Democracy is best summarised by: “A nation governed for the people, by an administration which accords with, and is regulated by established Laws and Courts”. The summary execution of Bin Laden is in stark contrast to this basic tenet.
Not only will this action not stop the Al Quaeda Movement, in my opinion, it will garner new, and willing, recruits to the medieval philosophies of these fanatics. If ever there was an action that was designed to further exacerbate the contempt for the hypocritical standards adopted by the USA (and others) to promote “democracy” then this was it.
It hasn’t surprised me. The USA is often viewed as being a nation of violence and revenge. Is it any wonder that many Americans believe that justice comes from owning a bigger and better gun, with the willingness to use it, when their own government pursues the same ideology? The cheering, exuberance and blood lust shown, concomitant with the leader’s own examples and encouragement, is reminiscent of the public executions in Europe’s not so glorious past of public executions, and the still inglorious days of Saudi Arabia, amongst others, who still maintain this medieval mindset. All this shows that education for the masses hasn’t been very successful in advancing neither intellectual comprehension, nor compassion.
Once again the biggest disappointment is in the blanket acceptance by Australia’s two political leaders for this illegal and undemocratic episode. True friends are those with whom you can disagree, in this instance the acquiescence is just another example of obsequious sycophancy. “All the way with the USA” or the American “My way or you can’t play”.
Yes Bin Laden, and his actions, was evil. That is not an excuse for us to be just as bad.
Tom Edgar