Guts and Glory

The biggest, most sensational news that had taken the world by a storm most recently was, not quiet so astonishingly, equally celebrated and denigrated across the globe by millions of people at large.

Everyone had an opinion. Some quarters lambasted it as one of the most cheerful stories to come out of the west since the Obama victory – notwithstanding the heartaches and agonies of close calls and near misses over the last nine years that reminded the west that perhaps happy endings are sometimes only relegated to the story books. The general populace had years of nail biting to contend with until the fateful day that many thought might never come.

Naturally the royal wedding was a big affair. The fairy tale union of King of England, twice removed, and a coal miner's daughter (allow me the poetic license) was celebrated across the world. The BBC counts over four billion watched it live in their living room; give or take another few millions who watched it from the sidelines. The event was televised live for all to see with minute by minute updates – polished in its glory. screams and all. Clearly a day not to be forgotten; better yet, remembered from time to for all its sweetness and saccharine.

Contrast that to another fateful day that was simultaneously as long anticipated as it was given up on. Six people watched this live from the situation room; give or take another dozen or so watching on the sidelines. This event in particular was fed through a secured line from a helmet cam for a secretive bunch – rough and unedited, spilled guts, screams and all. 40 minutes that will probably live in the minds all its witnesses; revisited again from time to time through unanswered questions regurgitated for all its deception and darkness.

Interestingly I read a report on the Osama assassination that revealed that the word “wedding” in despatches of the Al-Qaeda signified a “bombing.” Talk about the ultimate irony in historical trivia.

Not to belittle the rather hollow US victory over terrorism – but the US walked into that war thanks to the misplaced bravado of a rich, spoilt Texan wildcatter and his callous, one-time inebriated, born again son (with possibly the JC complex). Americans should be forewarned that walking out was never going to easy as “kicking their ass,” because the killing of a Bin Laden does not amount to any “ass” being really kicked.

Had Bin Laden been captured and tried in an independent court, things might have been a little different but even then no “ass” would have been really kicked. As much as Bin Laden was hated we should mark Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's words when he cautioned that “returning hate for hate multiples hate.”

Bin Laden might be dead, and while some in America might find peace and still others court re-election, sadly America is no safer for it.