Rachel Maddow is one of the best “explainers” I’ve ever seen on television, let alone on a news show, and (as I too often remind folks when I make a statement like this) I’m no spring chicken.

After the Japan earthquake and tsunami in March of this year led to radioactive disasters at a half-dozen nuclear power plants, the most lucid, informative and understandable lay explanations of the crisis — the causes, technologies involved, dangers, etc. — were without question done by Rachel Maddow.

She’s also really good at focusing her attention on important stories — or angles on important stories — which might otherwise escape our notice.

Now she has done it again with a unique discussion of Osama bin Laden, and the strategy which was at the root of his style of asymmetrical warfare against the United States. Continue reading →