It is stunning to hear on May 1, 2011 that Usama Bin Laden (Western spelling: Osama Bin Laden), the world’s most notorious terrorist, was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan by American forces.
It is difficult to imagine a world without fear, a world without Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. There are many questions that instantly spring to mind. Does this mean that al-Qaida, the organization he was in charge of, will collapse?
It’s possible, but numerous similar organizations have sprung up across the world in the 10 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Will anyone directly continue bin Laden’s causes? Will there be any reaction from groups of similar ideology?
On May 1, 2003, then-U.S. President George W. Bush declared end to major combat operations for the United States in Iraq. Yet the war continued and a new government took over in Iraq.
When Bush was re-elected, and when Obama was elected, it seemed like there was no end in sight for the War on Terror. Bin Laden symbolized seclusion and elusiveness. His videotaped messages were a consistent reminder that safety was fleeting.
Now what? “I never thought this kind of closure was in the cards for me,” Stacy Palozzi, an American whose father was killed in the World Trade Center collapse, told ABC News.
Bin Laden’s death also comes after the height of the Arab Spring, a series of revolutions and political protests across the Arab world and Middle East. Some of them are still in progress, particularly in Libya and Syria, where sociopolitical conditions remain unstable.
“So many people say these uprisings signal the death of [his ideology],” journalist Christiane Amanpour told ABC News.
9/11 overshadowed Bin Laden’s and al-Qaida’s prior record, which included attacks on U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and the bombing of the destroyer USS Cole.
What do you think? Will Bin Laden’s ideals die with him? Is the end of the War on Terror finally in sight?
How Does Bin Laden's Death Change The World?
Written by Erick Colman
It is stunning to hear on May 1, 2011 that Usama Bin Laden (Western spelling: Osama Bin Laden), the world’s most notorious terrorist, was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan by American forces.
It is difficult to imagine a world without fear, a world without Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. There are many questions that instantly spring to mind. Does this mean that al-Qaida, the organization he was in charge of, will collapse?
It’s possible, but numerous similar organizations have sprung up across the world in the 10 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Will anyone directly continue bin Laden’s causes? Will there be any reaction from groups of similar ideology?
On May 1, 2003, then-U.S. President George W. Bush declared end to major combat operations for the United States in Iraq. Yet the war continued and a new government took over in Iraq.
When Bush was re-elected, and when Obama was elected, it seemed like there was no end in sight for the War on Terror. Bin Laden symbolized seclusion and elusiveness. His videotaped messages were a consistent reminder that safety was fleeting.
Now what? “I never thought this kind of closure was in the cards for me,” Stacy Palozzi, an American whose father was killed in the World Trade Center collapse, told ABC News.
Bin Laden’s death also comes after the height of the Arab Spring, a series of revolutions and political protests across the Arab world and Middle East. Some of them are still in progress, particularly in Libya and Syria, where sociopolitical conditions remain unstable.
“So many people say these uprisings signal the death of [his ideology],” journalist Christiane Amanpour told ABC News.
9/11 overshadowed Bin Laden’s and al-Qaida’s prior record, which included attacks on U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and the bombing of the destroyer USS Cole.
What do you think? Will Bin Laden’s ideals die with him? Is the end of the War on Terror finally in sight?
Remember Earth Day? Maybe It's Time For Tradition
Written by Erick Colman
Has the environment gone back to being “just another cause,” holding down its own corner of the science department?
This is technically the 41st year that April 22 has been designated Earth Day, but its meaning is almost lost in the modern day. Picking up litter and protesting energy-draining factories used to be a big deal. Not anymore.
Why? Efforts to conserve and preserve the environment are now commonplace. Recycling is typical, even required in some areas. Vehicles show ratings of how much fuel they consume. Gas-electric hybrids are side by side with conventional gasoline vehicles. Buses run on hybrid systems as well.
So what is left there to save? Well...everything.
Noticed gasoline and petrol prices going up lately? There isn’t much the average consumer can do to control oil prices or supply, but the value of carpooling and splitting gasoline can definitely be seen. Also, if it’s safe for you to take public transportation, do so.
What about food? There have been riots and protests over the last year in numerous countries over food prices. Suddenly, growing a small garden or even planting a few seeds on your windowsill doesn’t seem like a bad idea. And if you do get a chance, check out the organic section of your local grocery store. You’d be surprised how good some organic food tastes compared to its mass-produced counterparts.
And what about our children? Every environmentalist says future generations would see the large-scale negative impacts of the modern world. Yet you’d be surprised how much we still throw away. We’ve figured out what we can and can’t recycle by now. We just need to make sure that it’s something that our children know how to do.
All of the environmental issues affecting every living thing didn’t just disappear overnight. Ask the Japanese; the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster will be with the country for quite some time. And supposedly, debris from the March 11 tsunami and earthquake is floating its way across the Pacific Ocean. There’s already enough garbage in the sea.
This Earth Day happens to also be Good Friday for Christians, which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and in the midst of Jewish Passover, which commemorates the ancient Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt.
Religious events double as traditions for their respective followers.
The easiest way to sustain and renew the environment is to make environmentalism a tradition instead of “just another day” on the calendar. If the Earth Day commemoration on April 22 is outright eliminated, it should be because every day is philosophically Earth Day. Agree or disagree?
Tracking The Arab Spring, "Guitar Hero" Style
Written by Erick Colman
If you never thought you’d see those two ideas together, well, neither did I.
Today, the Guardian (UK) released an interactive graphic that charts each revolution milestone in the Arab world and the dates that it happened across 17 countries. Either the designers have been playing too many video games, or the resemblance was completely unintentional.
Visually, it’s just an interactive bar chart. But active gamers would recognize the pattern as similar to the mock guitar fret boards used in “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” video games.
On its own, the graphic is very comprehensive. If the designers meant to mimic the “Guitar Hero” style, then it’s an incredibly clever way to educate younger audiences who may not be studying world history at the moment.
Imagine if writers and designers of textbooks were this inventive.
Judge for yourself. On the right, you'll see a screenshot from "Guitar Hero" (copyright by Activision). Now click on the link below.
If you never thought you’d see those two ideas together, well, neither did I.
Today, the Guardian (UK) released an interactive graphic that charts each revolution milestone in the Arab world and the dates that it happened across 17 countries. Either the designers have been playing too many video games, or the resemblance was completely unintentional.
Visually, it’s just an interactive bar chart. But active gamers would recognize the pattern as similar to the mock guitar fret boards used in “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” video games.
On its own, the graphic is very comprehensive. If the designers meant to mimic the “Guitar Hero” style, then it’s an incredibly clever way to educate younger audiences who may not be studying world history at the moment.
Imagine if writers and designers of textbooks were this inventive.
Judge for yourself. On the right, you'll see a screenshot from "Guitar Hero" (copyright by Activision). Now click on the link below.
It is stunning to hear on May 1, 2011 that Usama Bin Laden (Western spelling: Osama Bin Laden), the world’s most notorious terrorist, was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan by American forces.
Has the environment gone back to being “just another cause,” holding down its own corner of the science department?
If you never thought you’d see those two ideas together, well, neither did I.