On May 9, 10:30 am, plainolamerican <[email protected]> wrote: > Why was he not taken into custody, and allowed to stand trial for his > alleged deeds? > ---- > He was given an opportunity to surrender. He decided to fight it out. > His choice ... his instant death. > > choose sides carefully > > you're either an American or something else > > On May 9, 7:26 am, MJ <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > "My criticism of bin Laden’s killing has less to do with what was done to > > him, than with the morally depraved character of so many Americans who, > > once again, react to the crimes of its leaders by waving flags and chanting > > "USA, USA!" My children and grandchildren will have to live in -- and, > > hopefully, not have to escape from -- this country whose fate is so utterly > > a matter of indifference to most of their neighbors. Thanks to the > > influence that politics, government schools, and the mainstream media have > > had in anesthetizing minds to the pain of clear, self-directed thinking, > > the kinds of principles that used to define the essence of American > > society, have become labeled "extremist ideology" or "crackpot" thinking. > > After all, what do such notions as "constitutional restraints," the "rule > > of law," "due process," "individual liberty," "privacy," "fair trials for > > the accused," the rejection of "torture," and other related ideas, have to > > do with such "real world" matters as details of the royal wedding, or the > > question "who will be the next American Idol?""How Perverted Have We > > Become?by Butler ShafferMichael:My father is no different from any powerful > > man, any man with power, like a president or senator.Kay Adams:Do you know > > how naïve you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don’t have men > > killed.Michael:Oh, who’s being naïve, Kay? --The Godfather(1972) > > When I was in high school, one of my teachers showed the filmThe Ox-Bow > > Incident. For those unfamiliar with the movie, it is a western that takes > > place in 19th century Nevada. Three strangers are captured by townsfolk -- > > who had formed a posse -- and accused of having murdered a local cattleman > > and stolen his cattle. The three are in possession of the cattle, but claim > > they had bought them from the owner. As the sale took place out on the > > range, no bill of sale accompanied the transaction. In due course, most > > members of the posse conclude these men were guilty of the crime, and > > decide to hang them, which they summarily do. Shortly thereafter, the posse > > meets up with the sheriff who informs them that the cattleman had been > > wounded, but not murdered, and that the wrongdoers who had shot him had > > been caught. > > I recall no lengthy discussion of this film once it ended. Its message was > > as evident to each of us as it was to theater audiences; its meaning stood > > on its own. Unlike so much of the public response to the killing of Osama > > bin Laden, there was no post-lynching praise of the posse for having > > performed a community service; no bestowal of "hero" status upon the > > perpetrators. > > Like most Americans -- and, perhaps, people in general -- I have no defense > > to make of bin Laden. Outside of his own circle of operatives, the only > > person I can recall who had good words to say about this man was Ronald > > Reagan. It was during his presidency that the U.S. government helped to > > create and fund Al Qaeda -- with bin Laden in a leadership role -- to help > > drive the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan. For those of you who derive your > > sense of history from motion pictures, you might want to watchCharlie > > Wilson’s War.Having been established to serve American Cold War interests, > > when Al Qaeda’s success in evicting the Soviets was no longer useful to > > such purposes, it pursuedotherforeign invaders (i.e., its creators)! Once > > again Boobus Americanus is confronted with Newton’s "third law of motion" > > which, in matters political, is known to thoughtful minds as "blowback." > > My criticism of bin Laden’s killing has less to do with what was done to > > him, than with the morally depraved character of so many Americans who, > > once again, react to the crimes of its leaders by waving flags and chanting > > "USA, USA!" My children and grandchildren will have to live in -- and, > > hopefully, not have to escape from -- this country whose fate is so utterly > > a matter of indifference to most of their neighbors. Thanks to the > > influence that politics, government schools, and the mainstream media have > > had in anesthetizing minds to the pain of clear, self-directed thinking, > > the kinds of principles that used to define the essence of American > > society, have become labeled "extremist ideology" or "crackpot" thinking. > > After all, what do such notions as "constitutional restraints," the "rule > > of law," "due process," "individual liberty," "privacy," "fair trials for > > the accused," the rejection of "torture," and other related ideas, have to > > do with such "real world" matters as details of the royal wedding, or the > > question "who will be the next American Idol?" > > This is what America has become: a nation of people who accept what the > > Nuremberg trials declared to be the most serious of war crimes, namely, the > > starting of wars; people who regard "liberty" as the condition that derives > > from obedience to authority; for whom "justice" means nothing more than the > > redistribution of violence; and who are willing to accept heroes on the > > cheap. The official story of how bin Laden was killed has changed so many > > times that it remains uncertain what actually occurred. What can be > > distilled, at this point, is that Navy SEALs were brought to bin Laden’s > > residence by helicopter; he was unarmed and put up no resistance; and, > > having been captured, was then shot and killed, and his body dumped into > > the sea. > > It borders on the psychotic for Americans to cheer, as "heroes," men who, > > not defending themselves from gunfire, and having captured a now helpless > > old man, would then commit such a cold-blooded atrocity. Why was he not > > taken into custody, and allowed to stand trial for his alleged deeds? Was > > it preordained that, no matter the circumstances, bin Laden was not to > > survive his capture; that, as Noam Chomsky and others have observed, the > > United States did not have concrete evidence of bin Laden’s responsibility > > for the crimes of 9/11? Was there, perhaps, the greater fear that if bin > > Laden -- a creature of American foreign policy -- were to be subjected to a > > public trial, the underside of such policies might be revealed; that such > > evidence -- coupled with the revelations coming from Julian Assange and his > > Wikileaks organization -- might prove embarrassing? > > If American troops are to play the role of "hit men" for the political > > establishment -- gunning down those who might inconvenience the purposes of > > statist godfathers -- what are we to think of our neighbors who see such > > behavior as a matter of national greatness? It is now the common wisdom > > among the political talking-heads -- whose opinions are alltoocommon -- > > that Obama’s criminal act greatly boosts his reelection chances. Has the > > market for moral principles so bottomed out in this country? Is it in the > > dregs of human character that future historians will find the essence of > > 21st century America? > > Nearly six years ago, British policemen tackled a young Brazilian man in a > > subway station on his way to work. After getting him down, he was shot five > > times in the head and died, for which FOX News’ witless commentator, John > > Gibson, praised the police, adding "five in the noggin is fine." It was > > later revealed that the victim of this murder was innocent of any > > wrongdoing. In a rational world, it would be the purpose of a public trial > > to determine whether a suspect was guilty of a criminal offense. In > > whatever form a lynch-mob appears, the society that condones -- or worse > > yet glorifies -- such practices destroys itself. > > Hero-worship is far too overdone in this country, and is often confused > > with fame. Nonetheless, those who seek heroic behavior can find it if one > > is discriminating in where to look for it. One can sometimes find it within > > the military, although such persons are often treated as pariahs. One > > example can be found in the U.S. Army helicopter pilot, Hugh Thompson, who > > came upon the systematic murdering of Vietnamese civilians at My Lai, led > > by Lt. Calley. When Thompson figured out what was occurring, he turned his > > helicopter toward the American soldiers and ordered his crew members to > > open fire on them should they persist in their slaughter. For his heroic > > act of decency, Thompson spent much of his remaining years being treated > > more as a villain. Boobus has been too conditioned in his support of the > > state to be willing to make independent judgments, particularly about > > anything that lays too great burden upon his mind. A more recent example of > > military heroism is seen in Private Bradley Manning, who has been accused > > of providing WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange with the restricted material that > > Wikileaks later released. For a nation that professes to operate on > > democratic principles, Manning and Assange are providing the public with an > > essential service: a documented awareness of what its government has been > > doing. If anyone wants to build a monument to any of these genuine heroes, > > please let me know where I can send my > > donation!http://www.lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer235.html- Hide quoted > > text - > > - Show quoted text -
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