Today is complicated. On the one hand, one of the greatest enemies not only of the United States but of peace and equality and justice everywhere is finally dead. On the other hand, he was executed by a sovereign nation acting at least in part on illegally obtained, coerced intelligence and through a covert mission on another sovereign nation’s soil. Not to mention a person, heinous though he might be, is now dead — and that always seems like an odd reason to celebrate.
I imagine I’m not the only person feeling happy and dirty at the same time.
I’m a New Yorker. I vividly remember 9/11. Walking the length of Manhattan to get home as buses passed covered with debris from the collapse. Watching with confusion as people who had clearly been near the World Trade Center and looked like dusty ghosts walked past the restaurants and stores and normalcy of a world that now seemed a million ages ago. Showing up a Red Cross center a day later, not sure really how to help, and finding a few thousands of my fellow citizens standing there too, hoping to do something useful.
And then I remember the suffering of those who died and our national suffering and fear in general being exploited for war. A war Afghanistan and then again in Iraq that had nothing whatsoever to do with the Twin Towers or Osama bin Laden. Wars that, it turns out, had nothing much to do with anything except oil and military expansion. It was as though our tragedy was nothing but a convenient excuse for violence. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.
But it got worse. “Extraordinary rendition” to secret CIA detention camps. Unthinkable torture of human beings held by our government at Guantanamo Bay.
Yes, I am instinctively brimming with national pride today that our military, under the guidance of our government and Commander in Chief, executed one of the world’s worst criminal masterminds and homicidal maniacs.
But I don’t believe in the death penalty. I don’t believe in the illegal, unconstitutional and either way immoral detention practices that apparently contributed at least in part to bin Laden’s whereabouts. I don’t believe that sovereign nation’s should invade the territory of other sovereign nation’s without at least the legitimacy of the international community.
There are moments when our values are a hard fit with reality. Those on the Right are experiencing the same sort of disconnect right now — as the would-be cheerleaders for any action to take out a character like bin Laden are twisting their moral fabric to wrap heroism around George W. Bush while denying victory to Obama. Those who can, even in a great moment of national history, practice the ugly politics of division instead of the deeply American tradition of unity, so should seriously question their patriotism.
But I’m more unsettled by my fellow progressives.
Perhaps it’s acceptable to attack the means while celebrating the ends in a complicated situation such as this. Perhaps….
Perhaps, whether we admit it or not, we’re putting aside our preferences for peace and non-violence because we see the political importance of rallying around our previously-beleaguered President. Perhaps….
Perhaps we don’t believe as deeply in diplomacy, international law and human rights as we like to think we do. Perhaps….
I honestly don’t have any answers myself right now. Just questions.
If you like it, share it!
7 Responses to Mixed Emotions re Osama bin Laden
Leave a Reply
NEW YORK TIMES PROFILE
SOCIALIZE WITH ME!
TV DOESN’T PAY THE BILLS
Make a tax-deductible contribution via our fiscal sponsor, the Grassroots Policy Project
I understand the mixed feelings. My first response was “Awesome! Good riddance!” Then I felt guilty for celebrating a man’s death… even a man that I truly believe to be evil. I don’t understand how anyone can credit George W. Bush with this victory though. He was too busy invading Iraq rather than attempting to bring down Bin Laden.
He never took credit for 911 BTW. No one even cared about him because a)they knew he died from his kidney condition and b) he was put in place by the CIA to begin with. Nice plan to invade other countries and take their oil. Just as we are in Libya now, yay more oil.
He’s been dead for 10+ years, I’m interesting in seeing the next villain the US whips up from their list of CIA ops. Who do we ~need ~ to invade and commit genocide next? How long until Bush and Obama are tried for their war crimes?
I agree with you whole-heartedly about the questions we will have to answer on what led up to the capture of Osama Bin Laden and how it was handled. But I do admit that as a “card carrying liberal,” I was relieved last night when I got the news. So relieved that I felt guilty about it for a minute because I was happy to see so many celebrating outside the White House. Shit…I wanted to be there! But you know? I’m not going to feel guilty about what my instincts told me last night the minute that I heard. It’s not the progressive thing to do, I know…but I did it. I wasn’t ecstatic because someone died, but my feelings were and are based on this idea that a dark chapter in our history can finally be over and I think that fellow-progressives, like myself, feel the same way. We haven’t forgotten about diplomacy — we want that to happen at all times. We do care about international law and human rights. These are all aspects that are embedded in our progressive foundation. But for Bin Laden’s capture — I can honestly say…based on what I have read and researched today, this action in Pakistan was necessary. It infuriates me to hear that this compound, where Bin Laden was captured, was built in 2005 and that Osama had been there since then…never leaving the premises. How come we didn’t pursue something then? Are we saying that Pakistan did not know? We have provided them with millions of dollars and see them as an ally but I’m uncertain as to what would have happened had we told Pakistan or worked with them prior to this decision? Would the mission have been successful? It’s a slipperly slope and I may regret my feelings about this decision later on, but what I feel right now is that I do believe we did what needed to be done, despite my personal political views on international relations.
I an optimist and I hope that with this decision comes greater accountability on how we move forward with bringing our troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq and finally closing down Guantanamo Bay. This is what I am thinking about now. I am not going to dwell on how I feel about this development, I want to move forward and make sure that those three things I have just mentioned, are done. This is how I will hold my President and my government accountable. Obviously, the fear of terrorism is not over, but we can learn from this. Never again do I want to send young men and women to risk their lives to fight two unjust wars. Never again do I want to have this idea of “fear” over our heads as a tool for political strategy. Never again do I want to spend trillions of dollars on just one man when this funding could be used to build greater infrastructure for future American generations.
I, too don’t have all the answers, but I hope that your mixed emotions (like mine) will find some peace. I don’t think we ever had a chance for some real closure after 9/11 and I hope today we can have a bit of that.
Angelica
@anrubio
Thanks. I have to say I feel the same way. Too many questions to honestly say I’m happy about any of this. They have a saying in Texas… fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… see you can’t get fooled again.
I’m feeling ambivalence as well. If that’s the right word. Maybe morose is more appropriate. I just feel like, as Americans in this fight, we lost more than we had ever won.
I actually believe that these mixed emotions are the most progressive point of view possible. Let’s admit – even embrace – our confusion and thus our humanity. Moral absolutism is not a progressive value. Like you, I take no joy in what we have done these past ten years in response to what he orchestrated ten years ago. An ignominious end was the only possible result. At least progressives have the courage to admit their moral struggles. Would that more Americans were willing to do that.