Bin Laden's Death: Was This Murder?

[Professor]

Got a question, if assassinations are illegal, and you're not supposed to shoot anyone until you have verified that they have NOT laid down their arms, then how is any drone strike legal? For that matter, how is any non-hand-to-hand kill legal since WW2?

Korea wasn't a warzone. We didn't not lay eyes on every single NK soldier to verify that he wasn't trying to surrender. And we carpet bombed their asses. How do we know that there wasn't some guy down there trying to surrender? And, if it wasn't a war zone, then wouldn't killing them simply be mass assassination?

Same thing for Vietnam. And Iraq 1. And Iraq 2. And Panama. And Grenada. And Somalia. And . . . you get the picture.

Simply put, I have no problem with America doing whatever it takes to do what is in the best interest of Americans, by whatever means necessary.

Do not confuse that statement. I don't think that invading Iraq NOR Afghanistan was in our best interests. But, assuming they were, then I have no problem with America doing it. Basically, do whatever is our best interests until someone stops us.

[eynon81]

[Professor]

I hear you, Eynon. I'm pretty much against wars as a matter of foreign policy. Yes, you might win in a tactical sense. But, you get a generation of people in that country who basically hate your guts. Not to mention all their allies who will also hate you.

I wholeheartedly agree with the concept of pressuing other countries to do what we want them to do. I simply think that using economic or political pressure is more effective and better in the long run.

Until you run into groups like AlQ, whom you cannot pressure economically or politically. With them, you kill them where you find them. "International laws" be damned. And, you take away their support by befriending their base of support - the regular people in those countries.

[eynon81]

[exploited]

[exploited]

[Professor]

[Professor]

[eynon81]

[Professor]