Osama Bin Laden

I should probably note the end of Mr. Bin Laden. I can't say I have anything too profound to say about it. I will say that the best response to it I've seen is from low-tech cyclist at the Cogitamus blog. Not surprising that it's a Hammett quote (though straight from the movie - though the movie takes the speech almost straight from the novel.) I've long associated September 11th with the story of Flitcraft in the Maltese Falcon - the man who adjusted himself to beams falling, then adjusted himself to beams not falling - sometimes to explain how we can go back to our lives after something like that, sometimes to marvel about how some of us refuse to adjust to beams falling... But as for Bin Laden, and why getting him matters - this says it just about perfectly:

When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed, it's-it's bad business to let the killer get away with it, bad all around, bad for every detective everywhere.

That is just about how I feel about this. It has been too long to take an awful lot of satisfaction out of it - but given the enormity of his deeds, and the importance of being able to protect yourself, your citizens - it's very important that this be brought to a conclusion. I don't feel much like celebrating (it's not like this is the end of the war - VE or VJ days - those are days for parties in the streets), but I can't deny taking a powerful satisfaction in the end of a very bad man.