So...does this mean that WAR is officially cool again for liberals?

[Ken Burch]

That's my great worry...that the leaders of this party are going to take the killing of OBL as a sign that they should TOTALLY get back in touch with their inner JFK again...

Given that the whole "war can SO be liberal" idea can only lead us to the next Vietnam...shouldn't we all be at least a little nervous about that prospect?

The last thing we need is to go back to "bear any burden, fight any foe"-especially since that mindset always ended up meaning we saw most of the world as foes to be fought...especially the impoverished Rainbow majority of the planet.

Please, people, remember where the giddy high of what Charlie Sheen would call "WINNING!" has led us before.

It can't lead us to anywhere progressive or humane.

War is the crystal meth of the American mind.

[Hannah Bell]

1. usa, usa! freeeeeedooooommmmm

when did war *stop* being cool, it's been one continuous war since 1900.

[Ken Burch]

2. True. The "liberals" were at least sort of pretending to be squeamish

about unnecessary loss of life for awhile.

Now they're getting in touch with their inner John Waynes again.

It's gonna get wicked ugly, Hannah.

I'll probably get another new verse for "Love Me, I'm A Liberal" out of it.

[Hannah Bell]

4. free doom.

[DCBob]

3. The removal of OBL off the face of the earth is the "coolest" thing...

President Obama has done since taking office.

[Hannah Bell]

5. usa, usa! 9% unemployment, attacks on unions, war in the middle east, go team!

[AsahinaKimi]

6. +100

Maybe we should bring the troops home and start rebuilding this country.. starting with jobs..

[JTFrog]

8. communism, communism!!

Rah rah...

[DCBob]

9. One could argue the President will now be better able to deal with these and other critical issues..

with the success of taking out OBL. The President's stature has just grown exponentially.

[Hannah Bell]

10. one *could* argue that. but it's bullshit just the same.

[DCBob]

20. One could say bullshit, bullshit, bullshit...

and yet they could still be full of bullshit.

[Hannah Bell]

24. freeeeeeedooooooooommmmmmm

[Karmadillo]

13. He's probably got enough stature now to do another bankster bailout. Go team!

nt

[Ken Burch]

16. And to "reform" entitlements...oh, wait a minute...

[Hannah Bell]

26. whoop there it is

[Broderick]

40. +1

[Ken Burch]

18. This clearly can't be leveraged for anything progressive

And it will be used as a case to keep the war budget high, which is automatically a tragedy if you're actually left-of-center at all.

We're gonna end up going to war in Iran, now. And you'll probably cheer for it-even if it means they put the Pahlevis back in power.

[DCBob]

21. Good grief... we are not going to war in Iran.

What nonsense.

[Ken Burch]

23. That's how this country works.

When we "WIN" one out there, the cry immediately goes out to try to win one bigger. And inevitably it leads us to Vietnam at some point, but some people don't want to see that.

I hope those who lost people on 9/11 have closure, but a lot of them won't. It's never that simple.

The moments when this country's leaders feel the most confident are when there's the greatest danger of overconfidence.

I say all of this out of love for this country and a deep wish to not see anyone else get brought home in a box. Is that so hard to understand?

[Warren Stupidity]

32. Our president is a moderate republican.

Then again I knew that when I voted for him.

[DrDan]

14. +1

[xxqqqzme]

19. Was fortunate to hear Robert Reich

speak last Saturday. He spoke of a real unemployment rate (listing categories of unemployed) at more like 15 to 18%.

[Ken Burch]

25. Now of course, since this will push up the war budget

We can assume that nothing at all will be done about that.

Big defense spending always means right-wing policies on everything else. Reagan made that an eternal thing.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. -Lao Tzu on Victory and War

Weapons are instruments of killing and destruction, which are contrary to the nature of life.
Thus, they are avoided by those who follow the subtle Way of the universe.
According to ancient social custom, in times of peace a gentleman regards the left side, the soft hand, as the place of honor, in times of war, the right side, the strong hand, is considered the place of honor.

Because weapons are inauspicious, they are not to be the instruments of a gentleman.
Only when one has no other choice may one resort to using them, and if their use is necessary, one must employ calmness and restraint, for peace and quiet are the normal nature of universal life.
Even in victory there is no cause for excitement and rejoicing. To rejoice over a victory is to delight in killing and destruction.

He who delights in killing and destruction cannot be expected to thrive for long in the world.
Therefore, on happy occasions the left side has precedence, while on sad occasions, it is the right side.

When this rite was applied in the army, the lieutenant-commander stood at the left while the commander in chief stood on the right.

This indicates that war is treated as the equivalent of a funereal service.
Because many people have been caused an unnatural death in war, it is only right that the survivors should mourn them.

Even when a victory is won, the occasion should be regarded as lamentable.
--Lao Tzu, Tao Teh Ching, chapter 31, (translated by Hua-Ching Ni)

[slackmaster]

11. It means some of us are willing to tolerate no-knock arrest warrants under some circumstances

HTH

[quaker bill]

12. It is not cool

There is a difference.

Mr. bin Laden begged for this fate with each video and new message. Exorcising this demon from the national psyche was and would have continued to be an essential duty of anyone in the Whitehouse until the task was completed. The troops were not leaving the middle east before this was done.

I do not celebrate death. However, to the extent this particular death opens the door on a potential new chapter, it is worthy of some recognition.

[Hannah Bell]

17. you act like he'd been sending out regular tweets for the last 8 years. lol.

the troops (or rather, the private contractors & their corporate owners paid with public money) aren't leaving anywhere.

[quaker bill]

37. In case you missed it

we have been withdrawing troops from Iraq for over a year now. I have been paying attention. If you don't think OBL was begging for martyrdom, then you don't understand the mindset. One does not do all the things he did with any other outcome in mind. He was prepared to die for the cause, the navy seals just assisted him to this end.

[Gravel Democrat]

15. Started being cool on 1/20/09

Will stop being cool (for those that are inconsistent in their principles) as soon as a (R) "takes power" (takes power means what "represents us" used to mean)

The Death of the Republic RIP Long Live the Republic!

One day us peacenick leftist retard/wackos will get our own planet and treason will be enforced.

MMW!!!

[malaise]

22. I seriously hope not

but damn America is the quintessential old testament society...many folks love this vengeance business.

[Distant Observer]

27. Many don't understant the modern "liberal" theory of war and an instrument of national policy

Some here act as if nothing has changed over the last 50 years and they are comimg up with "just war" theory from a blank sheet based on their personal feelings.

[JVS]

28. K&R

[Kolesar]

29. the whole "war can SO be liberal" idea - You should have stayed in bed -- eom

[Zorra]

30. No. It is not cool for liberals. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

31. Our liberal hawks re-emerged for the Glorious Intervention.

They have been sulking for 8 years now since their pants down moment with Iraq, but forgetting the lessons of history has been their signature theme since Vietnam.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

33. Not this liberal.

And it never will be.

[Ken Burch]

34. Thanks for the sanity.

It's been scary on this site the last couple of days.

[LanternWaste]

35. I think the Napoleonic Wars of the liberal markets states were pretty cool

I think the Napoleonic Wars of the liberal markets states were pretty cool, but as I don't predicate my own opinions of a thing on a political platform, I can't really speak to your "we", only a "me"

[Ken Burch]

36. Well, they did have cool costumes

[krabigirl]

38. Didnt you get the memo? Heh.

[Broderick]

39. While we are at it

Let's throw antiwar crusaders like Cindy Sheehan under the war bus and drive a foul mouthed tank over her. /s

[Honeycombe8]

41. War is hell, as they say. But war is necessary, sometimes.

If a gang of house invaders invades your friends' house down the street, and there are no police to call, do you try to help? Or not?

A dove says no. A hawk says heck yeah...I've been waiting for this opportunity to blow someone away and show how powerful I am...honey, get out the oozi! A realist says, I can't stand idly by while my friends are robbed or hurt or worse; I must do what I can. I hate to. I don't want to get hurt. And the ammo costs hard earned money. But I must try to help...that's what life and friendship is about.

So...is war cool? No. Is it sometimes necessary? Absolutely. Or thugs would be living in your house right now, your loved ones would be dead from violence, and there would be nothing but mayhem around. Because if good people don't fight for their rights, then bad people will surely take everything they have, and everything they ever will have.

I live in the city. I own a gun. It's necessary, if I want to live through a burglary or home invasion. (I probably wouldn't live through one, anyway, but I have to at least try.) It's the same way in nature, too. If an animal can't protect its territory and family, it won't have territory or a family for long.

[JVS]

42. Yeah, and sometimes dudes with boxcutters hijack some planes and you're left with no alternative...

but to spend a decade blowing people up in several countries.

[Broderick]

44. Lost a lot of soldiers

And many freedoms in the process.

[Honeycombe8]

46. True. But they're not just "blowing people up." They have stated goals....

like wiping out the nest of terrorists that laid the plans and trained the terrorists that went out and killed thousands of innocent people. (That would be Afghanistan.) And get the guy that was the mastermind. (He was in Afghanistan at that time...in tacit control of the country.)

The Iraq War...HUGE mistake that was a distraction from teh Afghanistan goals.

I guess we can agree to disagree. Some can be doves....and others will fight for them to continue to be doves. Or hawks. Or whatever they are. But fighting is necessary sometimes.

Sort of like divorce. Even if you don't want one and don't believe in them, sometimes you have to get one because the other person just doesn't want to stay married to you. We don't live in a vacuum with just our own beliefs. We have to deal with what others' beliefs are, and sometimes others want to take everything from you.

[MadHound]

43. War has always been officialy cool for "liberal" politicians

They simply have to put on a dog and pony show for their constituents to try and impress upon them how much they dislike what they're doing. Meanwhile they continue to vote for war and ever increasing military spending.

[tekisui]

45. Fuck yeah!

I can hear the justifications now. War works! We got OBL, war fuck yeah! And we got a shitload of new intel to carry out all sorts of action.

Always money and new reasons for war.