BIN LADEN DEFEATED

author=kentona
well, the invasion of iraq was given the flimsiest of pretexts based on the actions of this man, all for the purpose of applying a shock doctrine to the country (first the war, then the economic shock) to implement a "pure" capitalist economy so that large corporations basically owned the country.

But it didn't quite work out that way. (one: the "pure" capitalism theory is flawed and unworkable and two: the iraqi people weren't completely "shocked" into complacency.)

But it did have the effect of privatising a lot of the military, and effectively work as a funnel from the public purse into the private sector. Go America.

What his death might do is overshadow was a fucked up plan the iraq invasion was in the first place. (I hope not. Friedman economic theory needs to die.)

This just in - America is a Plutarchy!

"The rich and mega corporations say they need tax breaks and low interest rates in order to give 400 000 people jobs! Let's give it to them!"

later

"100 000 people were laid off today..."

author=GreatRedSpirit
That's Plutocracy

I stand by what I said.

a plutarchy is a combination between a plutocracy and an oligarchy, where the power his help by a small group of individuals. I suppose "small group" is up to interpretation though.

author=cho
thank god we assassinated the neutered extremist who has not been a real threat for nearly a decade!!! was getting worried there

Given the lengths that his Pakistani collaborators went to harbor him, I highly doubt he was a 'neutered extremist'. Do you really think he no longer had an active hand in terrorist organizations?

author=also gj america it took you this long to catch ONE PERSON. set that bar low

Yes, because finding one person who doesn't want to be found with access to worldwide connections to hide very well in a world with billions of billions of people should be easy as pie, right? How fast do you think another country would be able to find him?

It's literally a needle in a haystack situation.

author=p.s. lmao at the people who are literally celebrating the murder of a murderer

"It also means justice and retribution for thousands upon thousands of families whose lives have been crushed by this man's actions at long last. Don't think that because you weren't personally affected that it doesn't matter."

^ That. Not to mention it having a huge morale boost and a shot in the arm for our, what seems to be sometimes, unwinnable war on terror, especially for effected families and troops on the ground. Have you ever met a 9/11 survivor or someone affected by it? Or before that, have you ever met a Holocaust survivor (and asked them how they felt about Hitler kicking the bucket?)


While I too think most of our involvement in the Middle East is bullshit, it's sort of funny how internet counterculture feels about the whole thing; it's almost getting to the point where it seems as if they're uh, actually sympathizing with the Taliban and shit. "Oh they aren't ALL bad, just misunderstood. It's those EVIL AMERICANS etc etc". I mean are you fucking kidding me?

Lag.

author=Nightblade
Children aren't radicalized because of our love of cheeseburgers short skirts, and BASED BALL. The severity of and frequency of the attacks might be just a TAD BIT diminished if we stopped being giant pricks

Are terrorist attacks on civilian targets ever justifiable? It would be one thing if this was a conventional war against military targets, but how can you possibly justify flying planes into buildings and bombing Underground trains with "Yeah if we weren't such pricks".

If anything that's an understatement to them to assume that their only recourse is bombing us from behind the scenes like animals, instead of approaching us on the world stage like an actual civilized organization. I can gulp and accept wartime casualties, but there is no excuse for planned and systimatic attacks on civilian targets. None.

While that's all cute and biblical, it has no tangible benefit for us; especially given the ridiculous cost of killing this one scumbag. At the end of the day, the damage is still done. Unemployment still sucks, our country is still in the icy grasp of business criminals, and Al Queda will just fine some other scumbag to replace him.]

Nobody ever claimed that killing (or capturing) Osama would fix everything. It's apples and oranges, and let one victory have its day, don't sour it up by going "WELL THERE'S OTHER PROBLEMS."

There are most certainly a multitude of foreseen tactical benefits of getting the guy, alive or dead. For one, there's gonna be a hell of a power vacuum in place. Killing an important guy in a hierarchal organization doesn't mean another guy gets spit out immediately, theres a lot of damage to fix and shit to fill in to replenish the resources, influence, and power that Osama occupied.

author=GreatRedSpirit
then somebody goes and burn more Qur'ans and then angry Muslims kill more people in backlash

or propose to burn a qur'an on the anniversary of 11/9/2001 at a small backcountry church.

Or draws a cartoon.

author=GreatRedSpirit
then somebody goes and burn more Qur'ans and then angry Muslims kill more people in backlash

As far as a backlash? That, I don't know. I sure hope not, or rather, I sure hope its not too bad.

I hate just feeling so vulnerable, you know? "JUST SITTIN' HERE WAITIN' FOR AN ANGRY MUSLIM TO KILL ME". I mean, I'd like to think we aren't that easy to pierce.

author=Versalia
is this going to be RMN today, I was looking forward to some gam mak

yeah it's not like there isn't a gamemaking section of the forums elsewhere on the site or anything like that yep they're all closed down today no gamemaking anymore

or *gasp* one could do both i dunno

Mog.. As much as I actually don't want to get into an argument with you and have no disrespect for servicemen as individuals... You do realise that the western war against Iraq resulted in the deaths of many more civilians than all of the terrorist attacks perpetuated by terrorists since 2001 combined.

so.

Are terrorist attacks on civilian targets ever justifiable?

Are military ones?

When your collateral damage leads to greater casualties than the thing you were exacting revenge for then people seriously need to reconsider their problem solving methods. American/UK/Whatever people's lives are not more or less valuable than the lives of innocent civilians in the middle east.

I think it's a shame we even need miliataries.. That's not to say I'm not glad there are people willing to fight to protect the lives of others in a sadly backwards socio-political global climate where we sadly DO need those people. But there's a line and it's been crossed by a long shot thanks to systemic problems that cannot be solved with more bullets.

author=NewBlack
Mog.. As much as I actually don't want to get into an argument with you and have no disrespect for servicemen as individuals... You do realise that the western war against Iraq resulted in the deaths of many more civilians than all of the terrorist attacks perpetuated by terrorists since 2001 combined.

so.

Yeah, it's fucked up. Also, I don't mind a friendly debate, and my views aren't necessarily because I'm a serviceman. As far as casualties go, after 9/11, what were we supposed to do? Nothing? I opposed pretty much most of our military actions in the Middle East, but when an organization hijacks planes and smashes them into buildings, and then claims responsibility for it, that country should uh, do something about it.

Are military ones?

Yes, if those military targets are trying to uh, destroy you, yes.