Going to give up on this one...
because I do not personally know Bin Laden. My opinion, for whatever its worth, is that he is clever. Intelligent is as intelligent does or conversely, to quote a movie character, "stupid is as stupid does".
My hack analysis of his psyche puts him as a mercenary who's angry at his former boss. When the Soviet Union ceased, he was unemployed as were many other third world nations caught in the ideological struggle. All fifty cent euphemisms aside, the US and NATO really didn't give a shit about these "allies" when they were no longer convenient.
I'll give the best analogy I can think think of. A guy get's laid off and decides he's so pissed he's going to buy a gun. He goes back in to his old job and starts shooting his peers. Never does it seem that the CEO gets it. Why? If the guy really wanted to do any "good", he'd kill the dude that was responsible for his layoff. I don't even pretend to know the answer. I just find it interesting.
Unless you look at Bin Laden as perhaps a "Bluto" like character in Animal House (this calls for a really futile stupid gesture), what type of intelligence was Bin Laden showing other than callous military cunning. If you're impressed by him, you should really be impressed by the cunning the US military showed in taking Afghanistan in less time than it took the Soviets to mount an offensive. Afghanistan being probably the most quoted example in your book of a "wealthy nation being brought to heel".
I seriously digress. I found your posts in this thread thought provoking and excellent in content and basic logic. It just doesn't seem to flesh out with the basic reality, IMO.
Just a few thoughts,
Screamer
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you've got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.
Y. Islam - Father and Son
