Execution without trial

The rhetoric surrounding the execution of Ben Laden often links his death with notions of revenge, evil, the old testament, realism and pragmatism, but also with Obama's re-election, the possibility of a shrine and the legacy of Al Qaeda. It is my impression that the left is willing to make an exception to the rule of due process, the right to the sacredness of life, and any given individual to any one of his principles. There is a pragmatic breaking point to anyone's defense of the moral higher ground.

An overpowering force was sent into a foreign nation to kill the public leader of a terrorist organisation. It made it manifest that the execution under any circumstances of key figures in an enemy camp is seen as a viable strategy by any nation. And public support for this modus operandi is broad.

I fail to see the big impact this indivual's death would have on public opinion anywhere. The reading of history in terms of heroes and villains is childlike. Once more, the thousands of newspaper articles that attempt to turn journalism into history seem to have succeeded in making children of us all.

To my mind, the execution of Ben Laden testifies to the fact that we are not yet far removed from barbarism. Perhaps the manifest violation of principles that are defended publically, both at the scale of nations, and in our circle of friends will serve as a useful reminder as to our primitive nature.