bin Laden was a symbol, an icon, for a dark vision of the world.

[Skidmore]

He towered over the planet because the reach of his vision extended to all continents. Many horribly violent acts were inspired by him resulting in the deaths and injury of thousands. The tenuous accords arrived at over the post WWII period were shattered and the laws of nations changed because of this vision. Here in America we discovered that we were not protected by our oceans and the friendly buffer nations to north and south. Bin Laden was a man without a nation or a political office but he wielded the power of an idea so darkly dressed in religious zealotry that young men and women would sacrifice their lives to bring it to fruition. Just as there are some men who command the global stage by the great and good contributions they make, so are there men who enter it by virtue of the evil they can cause. This power needed to be broken in the same way the power of persuasion that other men who lead peoples into evil has been broken throughout history.

I don't think Bin Laden wanted to be taken alive. Part of his vision was that of martyrdom in the pursuit of a medieval theocratic world. I do think there needs to be some realistic acknowledgement of the reach of this man and that he most likely left the world in a manner he chose.

[handmade34]

1. a symbol

yes, and the demise of that symbol (or the symbol is the demise?) can help to bring us together...

[Bonobo]

2. To us perhaps.

But to millions of others, he was a symbol of standing up to the imperialistic aggression of the West and the USA.

He lives liked the people who served him and was a man of faith in their eyes.

He used simple means to attack on enemy (the US) that has caused so much pain to the people of the Middle East for so long and he was effective.

He was their hero and now we have killed him. It will not take away the threat.

The threat is clear when you examine the reasons that he was their hero.

[NYC_SKP]

3. I would submit that Osama was a "hero" to some number, but only a minority, of people.

I would maintain that, far and away, many more people of his faith are relieved that he is gone.

Not saying that we aren't hated, that we don't deserve some scorn, just that there isn't some great homogeneous block who followed Osama, post Bush.

:patriot:

[uppityperson]

7. Indeed. The next thing to do is seriously look at why extremism anywhere is popular

among those who embrace it. Yes, there will always be kooks, but many who follow whichever extremist view have a reason for doing so. Time to look at things and see what the base issues are.

Food. Shelter. Education. Health care. All would cost less than bombs and bullets. IMHO.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

4. He was a figure that was created to deprive of us of essential freedoms, and keep the MIC's wallet

fat with taxpayer dollars.

End of story.

[snagglepuss]

5. Yep it's dark under a burka, a smothering cloak that exemplifies everything

wrong with his fanatical vision.

[uppityperson]

6. deja vu?

Didn't you already post this and I rec it? Or am I imagining things? k&r here. again?

[yurbud]

8. he was the Anti Claus