Bin Laden And The Greater Jihad
My friend Boycy. I guess he’s next.
Ah, Bin Laden. He hit the military and financial centers of America and verily, years later, they did collapse. If any point market the decline of the American empire, that would be it. I suppose he would have had a point, if he hadn’t sent thousands of human beings to a fiery death. In the end, the protesters of the Arab spring made a much more compelling point, including one that had the benefit of improving their lives rather than leading to some end times scenario and a pleasurable death. A friend of mine said Bin Laden was his hero. Everyone on Facebook was shocked. I get his point, but I think it’s not the point.
It’s one thing to say fuck you to the American Empire. It’s another thing to actually do something positive to make a change. I’ve been reading this book A Force More Powerful. They spoke about how Polish workers overthrew the Soviet Regime not by attacking it but by simply ignoring it and building a civil society on their own. I think that’s really the way to respond to oppression and dumbassery. Just make something better. Show something better. Power is only given by consent. It will never be given away, but if it’s bothersome the people can withdraw consent.
The thing is, America circa 2001 wasn’t nearly as bad as America 2004 or even 2011 – an America where torture is OK and hypocrisy is kinda a way of life. You could say that Bin Laden marked the decline of that empire, but the roots of American economic collapse go back to the 80s, when productivity started to decline, and it’s foreign fumbling was actually pretty much a constant during the last century. Meanwhile, America elected a black President while Al Qaeda just killed more people and put Bin Laden in a mansion. So really, which side is the reasonable one?
One thing I’m really happy to see is the logic of terror being snuffed out. Not that I’m directly happy at death, I find it difficult to celebrate anything’s death, besides mosquitos. I am glad, however, that terrorists perched atop a just cause are being shuffled into the dustbin of history. From Bin Laden to Prabhakaran, the logic of violent revolt is being shown to be false. Meanwhile, the people of Tunisia and Egypt and Syria and inshallah Bahrain are showing the logic of non-violence to be, uh, logical and true.
So, good riddance to Bin Laden. You could say he started the defiance to the West but, really, who gives a shit. The West is just a direction. Far better people have marched to simply lay claim to the square meter beneath their feet and the inches between their skull. And that, my friends, is literally the greater Jihad. The lesser Jihad is the one we fight with others. The greater Jihad is the one we fight with ourselves.
Mohsin Hamid, author of How To Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia, has a nice 
I’m happy to be featured in Echelon magazine’s 40 Under 40 feature, profiling young people who contribute to the economy in some way, mainly in business but also in terms of innovation and thought leadership. It’s an interesting article not just in that I’m in it (mainly for work on indi.ca and 
I won’t add too much commentary, but just read I guess. The youngest Rajapaksa, Rohitha (Chi Chi) has given an amazing interview to the 
In 2009 this strange character appeared on the Sri Lankan Internet scene, getting angry, flaming, trolling whatever. Then he started naming anonymous bloggers, posting comments as people’s kids, nasty stuff, for which I removed him from 
Hmmm… So you don’t see any repercussions from the attitude that perpetuating a never ending cycle of violence is the way to go, a great day for those who value peace? That rhetoric sickened me. I felt that Bin Laden finally won: the US did what he couldn’t do for himself, immortalise him as a martyr, began using his understanding of justice. Stoop to his level of logic where if someone hurts you, you tear them down. Undermining any attempts to explore the complex intercultural context that created this situation. What is the point of living in a world that has returned to a savage world order where might is right?
lol @ “intercultural context that created this situation.” Bin-Laden declared jihad on the whole civilized Western world. At least Prabhakaran and the LTTE were confined to Sri Lanka. When you publicly declare war on half the world, I don’t think you should be choosing how to die. It’s the same mistake Hitler made. Sure, the beginning is fun and games, but eventually the other guy catches up with you. And then you’re left to either kill yourself (as Hitler did), or be killed outright (Bin-Laden).
This is way better than anything shown on CNN, BBC etc. Here’s real combat footage on the OBL mission from a bunch of Taiwanese 3-D animators at NMATV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cw0AXjAaf3g
His hideout’s now been rated on Google Maps. http://tinyurl.com/5rsjtwe
Obama’s re-election’s now a dead certainty isn’t it? And this event also gives Rajathuma a great comeback to the UNSG’s dodgy dossier. Let’s have an immediate UN investigation into the whole murky business!
http://thecarthaginiansolution.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/bin-laden’s-death-a-war-crime-immediate-un-investigation-demanded/
that youtube clip was hilarious.
What’s really funny is that those stupid Muslim boys, who crashed into American buildings so that they’ll be given 72 virgins each, were actually virgins themselves. Your friend Boycy can easily become a martyr, since it is obvious that his virgin status is permanent.
“It’s one thing to say fuck you to the American Empire. It’s another thing to actually do something positive to make a change.”
I like that
The Muslims want to bring down the American Empire, but here’s the thing: the Mid-East (OPEC) sells the oil to the Americans that keeps the American economy running. Meanwhile, the other Muslims are busy financing global jihad. As long as the rich Muslims continue selling oil to fuel the American economy, jihad will not be enough to bring down the AE. Economic considerations trump everything (even the prospect of 72 virgins in Allah’s penthouse).
Actually, the Middle East uses its oil money (money the US pays for oil) to fund the Jihadis; so it’s actually the US that’s paying for the bullets and bombs used against its soldiers and civilians.
Indi, now that you have written about “Bin Laden And The Greater Jihad,” how about a post called “Rajapaksa and the 1000 year Family Reich?”
Well, PDB, as the alleged funny man, isn’t that better suited to your undoubted talents?
Coming sweet…my dear Mango friend…