To me the justifications for legalizing torture have always seemed extremely strained. Experts in the field have pointed out that circumstances in which brutal treatment might be justified – the famous ‘ticking time bomb’ scenario – happen so rarely that for all practical purposes they essentially don’t happen. So why institutionalize abuse for the one …
Archives for September 2006
Friday Amnesty
I have cleared the comment blacklist. Everyone who was previously banned, is now free to comment. If you are e a dick or an unrepentant troll, or add nothing to the discussion, and I will ban you again. Welcome back.
They Got Rolled
The WaPo sums up the general consensus, in a post titled The Abuse Can Continue: THE GOOD NEWS about the agreement reached yesterday between the Bush administration and Republican senators on the detention, interrogation and trial of accused terrorists is that Congress will not — as President Bush had demanded — pass legislation that formally …
Open Thread
Not enough Cindy Sheehan around here. That ought to do it.
Another Bad Apple
For a government that has no credible Congressional oversight and the greatest mania for secrecy since Nixon, the Bush administration sure seems to attract investigations. Steve Benen observes: Following up on yesterday’s item about Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson and his apparent penchant for letting politics dictate the grant process, it looks like …
Saddam 2.0
If you took a snapshot of the last two months, Iraqis are unquestionably worse off than before the invasion. GENEVA – Torture in Iraq may be worse now than it was under Saddam Hussein, with militias, terrorist groups and government forces disregarding rules on the humane treatment of prisoners, the U.N. anti-torture chief said Thursday. …
Differently Abled
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), 6/27/05: Mr. Speaker, I rise because information has come to my attention over the past several months that is very disturbing. I have learned that, in fact, one of our Federal agencies had, in fact, identified the major New York cell of Mohamed Atta prior to 9/11; and I have learned, …