ohfor07
It probably helps if you can condition people to swallow the theory, after which the crap that comes with should go down easier .......sorta like a spoon full of sugar helping the medicine go down, except it is not sugar but instead is lab-grade BS being delivered by the truckload, not spoon. In this context the theory is that OBL helps to put a face on an otherwise faceless enemy "international terrorism", without which it is much more difficult for the pajama people to know where and against whom they are sending their children and tax dollars to do battle.
Traditionally people expect that when they go to war they do so against a known place or territory, like a specific country, that flies a known flag, and houses a supposedly known enemy with a known face. The war on terrorism is not cut in this mold. There is no known country, territory or flag it is being waged agains.... all the more easy to wage this war indefinitely. Currently, for whatever reason that satisfies, the Middle East has by decree been the territory of choice for said war on terrorism. However, without a face like OBL to hang their hats on it is a much harder sell for the US War Dept to sell their tax-paying PJs.
You can start bringing the kids home, General!