We Killed Bin Laden. It Had To Be Done, But It Is Nothing To Be Proud Of

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Mon May 02, 2011 at 05:28:08 AM MST

One of the things that tipped off US intelligence was the size of the compound and the fact that for a building that size and in that location there was no telephone or internet going into it. A very strange state of affairs for an estimated  $1 million dollar home.

The attack took place without the knowledge of anyone inside Pakistan until it was over. Obviously the Obama Administration did not think that we could share any of the intelligence on this with the Pakistani government because of the divided loyalties inside it.

Bin Laden was killed in a firefight along with two other men and one woman. Reports are saying that she was used as a human shield. The compound was then destroyed by demolition charges and Bin Laden's body was taken out with the strike team.

The response here in the United States is about what you would expect, and is pretty sad to me. There is celebrations and people cheering and I can't for the life of me stomach that kind of reaction.

Back in early 2002 when we as a nation were still reeling from the 9/11 attacks my Dad sent me some kind of jingoistic piece of crap. It was a picture of all the ordnance that a B-52 bomber can carry (other than nuclear weapons). It had the caption "A little gift for you Osama" on it.

It pissed me off then and it pisses me off now. I told Dad that I understood the need to track down and capture or kill Bin Laden. After all he led the terror organization that perpetrated 9/11. However it should not be something we are proud of doing once it is done. It is not something we should crow about.

It would be something that we did because we had to do it. Like putting down a rabid dog is should never be a happy thing when we kill someone, even someone who did great damage to our nation. There is no pride to be gained by making sure that someone who harmed us, who killed thousands of innocent people both on the planes and in the buildings on 9/11. There is only the need to make sure that they never are able to do it again.  

Supreme Court deals setback for Environmental Activists and Refugees

by: wade norris

Sat Apr 23, 2011 at 12:59:48 PM MST

On September 21, 2009,
the Second Circuit made an important decision on a case known as
Connecticut vs American Electric Power.
Without going into too much detail, this was a case several groups like the Audubon society were trying to stop coal plant emissions because it was harming the value of their land trusts. The lower court ruled as other courts have, that Climate Change was part of the political realm, not the courts.
However, the appellate court overturned this decision on the grounds that the Energy company were causing a public nuisance, and nuisance cases have been heard by courts for decades.

"Nowhere in their complaints do plaintiffs ask the court to fashion a comprehensive and far-reaching solution to global climate change, a task that arguably falls within the purview of the political branches. Instead, they seek to limit emissions from six domestic coal-fired electricity plants on the ground that such emissions constitute a public nuisance that they allege has caused, is causing and will continue to cause them injury."

Unfortunately, as of April 20th, 2011, it seems that even the 'liberal' judges on the Supreme court are going to side with the Utilities :

   Justice Elena Kagan also questioned the scope of the case, refuting Underwood's argument that public nuisance pollution suit was like any other pollution suit. "All those other pollution suits that you've been talking about are much more localized affairs. One factory emitting discharge into one stream-they don't involve these kinds of national/international policy issues ... I mean, there's a huge gap, a chasm between the precedents you have and this case, isn't there?"

   Justice Ruth Ginsburg, meanwhile, questioned the court's jurisdiction in setting standards for emissions. "Asking a court to set standards for emissions sounds like the kind of thing that EPA does," she said. "The relief you're seeking seems to me to set up a district judge, who does not have the resources, the expertise, as a kind of super-EPA."

Growing Tension On The Korean Peninsula

by: Bill Egnor AKA Something The Dog Said

Thu May 20, 2010 at 06:20:44 AM MST

This might be marginally tolerable if it did not seem that the North Korean government was not intent on stirring up further trouble. In March of this year a South Korean corvette, the Cheonan sunk in waters just outside the boundaries claimed by the North. The immediate suspicion that this ship was sunk by a North Korean torpedo have been confirmed.