Two days ago, word came that Osama bin Laden had been killed at the hands of U.S. forces. Many details have come to light, some true, many probably not. I haven't been sure how to express my personal feelings on the matter, but when finally pressed, I decided to take a stand.
Shrug.
I'm certainly not jubilant; I cannot cheer the death of another human being, no matter how vile. I don't feel sorrow; the sum of our human existence is more positive now that the cowardly orchestrator of countless deaths has been snuffed out.
But, I do feel... sad. From my perspective, news of bin Laden's death serves as a reminder of the futility of the broader conflict. Two days ago, the man who led, funded, and orchestrated the 9/11 attacks was assassinated, and it has absolutely no measurable impact on the armed conflicts that resulted from his efforts. None. Zero. Zilch.
Totally irrelevant.
This conflict didn't begin on 9/11/2001, and it didn't end on 5/1/2011. It began with the events that led to the Crusades, and it will continue until some indeterminate point in time, many, many, many years from now. We'll continue to grind on in Afghanistan, and when we're finally roused by our disgust at the toll it has taken, we'll leave and take on the new fight du jour.
There's always another terrorist.
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