Today after school my host sister asked me if I was happy that they killed Osama. I told her that, in all honesty, I had no idea. If the question was about feeling relief, or finding some kind of closure, perhaps the answer would be a little more concrete. But she chose to use the one word I've been struggling with all day: happy.
Since the news broke late last night of Bin Laden's death, I've been sifting through my Facebook newsfeed, looking at various video clips, Internet memes, American newspaper op-eds, and friends' statuses. As friends on FB share articles, pictures, and personal opinions, I find myself on the outside looking in. I can't just step outside of my apartment and start chanting and celebrating in front of the White House like I did after the presidential election. I can't just turn on CNN and let it play in the background for the next several days. And I can't just go and down some beers with close friends while bullshitting about politics. So, I sit quietly at my computer and try to figure out how I feel about all this.
Unlike Hussein or Hitler, Bin Laden spent the last decade hiding underground, not leading any national parties or movements. His death won't bring about the end of al Qaeda or anti-American sentiment. Still, the impact this has on the psyche and operations of terrorist networks like al Qaeda should not be understated. If the five minutes of sports I've watched in my life have taught me anything, its that momentum and morale can play enormous roles in life. In practical terms, this is just the death of one individual, which comes about after a decade of warfare in at least two countries, terrorist bombings on several continents, trillions of dollars borrowed and spent on the military, anti-American sentiment growing during the Bush years, etc etc etc. But what last night proved to me is that there are definitely two sides to this story.
I don't know if I truly believe blood spilled (be it American troops or Iraqi civilians) can ever be justified, but at least last night reaffirms that for every Wikileaks-type story I hear of incompetence in the American government or military, there's somebody out there doing their job correctly. For years I've felt we weren't pulling out of the Middle East simply to save face. It seemed as though the government felt sacrificing US troops to stay locked in a stalemate was a better PR option than packing up and going home empty-handed. But then something like this happens and I think, "Hey, maybe it's more than sheer arrogance and pride that have kept us in the Middle East." Are we about to "win" a war in which there are neither defined borders or a clearly visible enemy? I'm going to guess no. Were the last ten years of warfare worth it if our main objective was to kill this one bearded dude? Again, not so much. But last night's raid had been in the planning stages since August. That means during mid-term elections, Christmas dinners, fiscal emergencies, Super Bowl parties, Donald Trump roasts, through it all people were working with good intel to successfully carry this out. Makes me wonder how many other rather unimportant things filled the 24 hour news cycle over the years because people were working hard to make sure we didn't have any major terrorist attacks to report on.
So I read articles, watch videos of drunk GW students waving flags at Lafayette Park, and write my blog, trying to figure out how I feel about all this. Last night I was pleasantly surprised, maybe a little shocked simply because I didn't think this would ever happen. I felt more like a Red Sox or Blackhawks fan seeing his team win the elusive championship for the first time in a lifetime. Then this morning I was damn pissed I couldn't be in NYC or DC to scream, chant, cry, and rant. Then I started to second-guess how morally correct it is to enjoy and contribute to the humor and sense of pride/victory that are all directed at the death of one man. Then I realized it would be insane not to celebrate the end of somebody who embodied so much hate and caused so much death. Then I realized that, really, I'm just giddy at the thought that Osama finally got his shit capped. All "America, fuck yeah!" about it.
Though now I'm just hoping this is the beginning of an eventual end to a very long chapter, that this will help ease tensions at home and make people feel more comfortable steering public funds away from the military budget and towards social programs like health care, education, feeding our poor and hungry. And though I very much doubt this will come to pass, I still see it being more feasible with Obama in office. But for now, living on the island of Chiloe, I don't have too many options other than to sit at my computer and quietly try to figure out an answer to Nacha's question. Am I happy they killed Osama?
Two articles I came across that stood out. With two very different points of view.
"The Ability to Kill Osama Does Not Make America Great." Stop celebrating and focus. Completely agree.
"Osama Bin Gotten" Go on and celebrate. ...Also agree.
-PM
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