But You Could Not Even Hide from the Ugly Truth
The United States government has always engaged in war crimes and human rights violations. What’s different this decade is that, under the leadership of a terrible president, our elites have become vociferous advocates of the goodness and rightness of war crimes and human rights violations. After the period from Grant and Sherman’s Indian policies to the aftermath of the Spanish-American War, America’s powerful learned to at least talk a good game. This led to real improvement in people’s lives when proles and poobahs from Portugal to Poland to the Philippines took our rhetoric seriously. Now our rulers and their auxiliaries view their highest calling as insisting on torture, panopticon and aggressive war as the highest ideals. Esthetically, this may represent a gain in frankness. Practically, I don’t expect it to better the world.
Comment by feckless —
January 11, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
An independent prosecutor right now is more important than the economy or war, it is the determination if our country is free and based on law, or if it a despotism of untouchable elites.
If other countries (ICC etc.) charge bring the criminal charges before we do this will only exacerbate the international perception of the culpability of the american public.
America can not be safe with George W. Bush free.
Comment by gizmo —
January 11, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
It’s worth pointing out that all of torture was exported out of country by the Bush administration. Thus, their excuse that they were acting in good faith in defense of the nation is bullshit. They knew that what they were doing was wrong, and they tried to cover themselves by having the dirty work done elsewhere.
Comment by sam —
January 12, 2009 @ 2:40 am
The mind of a liberal, excuse me, of a progressive is truly a dark, dank and very sad place.
I feel for you people, I really do.
Comment by absence of something —
January 12, 2009 @ 9:40 am
and I thought empathy was a liberal trait
Comment by jim —
January 12, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
Sam is funny… He seems to think that it is a dark, dark sad mind that can’t enjoy themselves a little, good old fashioned, torture now and again:-)
Comment by joe from Lowell —
January 12, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
Liberal minds are so dark and sad that we react to torture and violent death as if they were bad things.
If only we could be as cheery and hopeful as the sort of people who spend their time watching cockpit videos and thinking up justifications for crushing children’s testicles.
Comment by Lemster —
January 12, 2009 @ 6:29 pm
And what would you know about testicles Joe?