Killing Osama morally justifiable?

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the moral justification of killing Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, following the U.S. military operation that resulted in his death on May 2, 2011. Participants express a consensus that the act was defensively justified due to bin Laden's role in orchestrating the September 11 attacks and his ongoing threats against American lives. The discussion also explores the implications of U.S. military actions on foreign soil and the differing perspectives on moral justification based on geographical and political contexts.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the events surrounding September 11, 2001, and its aftermath.
  • Familiarity with the principles of just war theory and moral philosophy.
  • Knowledge of U.S. military operations and counterterrorism strategies.
  • Awareness of international law regarding military actions and sovereignty.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of just war theory and its application in modern conflicts.
  • Examine the legal frameworks governing military actions on foreign soil.
  • Study the impact of Osama bin Laden's death on U.S. foreign policy and counterterrorism efforts.
  • Explore the moral implications of military interventions in global conflicts.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for political scientists, ethicists, military strategists, and anyone interested in the moral and legal dimensions of military actions in international relations.

  • #31
JaredJames said:
Morals are personal things. Your morals =/= my morals.

Same goes for ethics.

You are looking at this as if there is one correct view of right and wrong. This just isn't the case.

Quite right. The concept of morality is purely subjective. Asking whether or not something is moral is meaningless and silly.
 
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  • #32
JaredJames said:
Apparently, according to the papers he did prefer death. But that's a non-issue here.

There are a lot of people who think it was morally wrong to kill him. There are a lot of people who think he should rot in jail.

This is why we go with law, not moral beliefs.

From Bin Laden's moral point of view (possibly KSM as well) it is morally wrong to lock them in a cage - they prefer to die (apparently)? If a prisoner (who will never be freed) wants to die - why should we not honor their wishes?
 
  • #33
WhoWee said:
If a prisoner (who will never be freed) wants to die - why should we not honor their wishes?

I have a friend who is strongly opposed to the death penalty. Her moral view on the issue is that it is giving them the easy way out and it shouldn't be available (it isn't in Britain where we are). They should serve the sentence they are given as punishment.

And why should we honour Bin Ladens moral opinion over that of someone else? Why is his suddenly the one we should go with?

Can you see the point I'm trying to make regarding the question of morality?
 
  • #34
JaredJames said:
I have a friend who is strongly opposed to the death penalty. Her moral view on the issue is that it is giving them the easy way out and it shouldn't be available (it isn't in Britain where we are). They should serve the sentence they are given as punishment.

And why should we honour Bin Ladens moral opinion over that of someone else? Why is his suddenly the one we should go with?

Can you see the point I'm trying to make regarding the question of morality?

I understand your point. I'm just glad he's dead - NEXT!
 
  • #35
Hurkyl said:
From your post, it sounds like you aren't interested in the question "Was killing Osama morally justifiable", but are instead interested in a question more like "Is taking military action on foreign soil morally justifiable?" Could you clarify your intent?

I guess the intent was to start a discussion of some of the issures raised in the broadcast.

But judging from the posts so far, I don't see any evidence that anybody actually took the time to listen to it.
 
  • #36
AlephZero said:
But judging from the posts so far, I don't see any evidence that anybody actually took the time to listen to it.

Regardless of the issue, my posts regarding morality stand.
 
  • #37
AlephZero said:
I guess the intent was to start a discussion of some of the issures raised in the broadcast.

But judging from the posts so far, I don't see any evidence that anybody actually took the time to listen to it.

Admittedly, we've strayed a bit - would you care to guide us back on-track?
 
  • #38
AlephZero said:
But judging from the posts so far, I don't see any evidence that anybody actually took the time to listen to it.
You can't reasonably expect someone to spend 45 minutes of their life without even knowing what topic you are actually interested in!

As for me personally, there's an extra factor: I despise listening to recordings (especially videos) for these sorts of things -- I would feel like I've wasted 45 minutes of my life receiving content that I could have (more easily and clearly!) gotten through 5-10 minutes of reading if it was presented as such.

Also, since you didn't provide direction at the beginning, the thread did as threads naturally do -- people supply their own topics. It was clear from the opening post that was going to happen, which is why I tried to prompt you to to provide that direction.
 
  • #39
I'm still waiting for an answer from the OP regarding whose morals we are using and why it should be those ones, and thus answering the question by itself.

Or does the thread title have nothing to do with the content of that video?
 
  • #40
This is not productive. Closed.
 

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