Call It A Comeback
Herr Limbaugh has declared the torture a little college prank
I went through hazing in college (and no I can’t defend it) and let me tell you what those prisoners went through isn’t just a little hazing. Having a sore butt from a paddle and not getting much sleep is not being sodomized with a broom handle. Can we stick a fork in this clown yet?
That private contractors are interrogators in U.S. prison camps in Iraq should be stunning enough. This is incredibly sensitive work and takes our experiment with the boundaries of military outsourcing to levels never anticipated. But even more outrageous is the fact that gaps in the law may have given them a free pass so that it could be impossible to prosecute them for alleged criminal behavior.
Some soldiers make horrible decisions, but they are accountable. Private employees doing military work are not. Contracting for combat or combat related positions must stop.
In turn, because the acts were committed abroad, and also reportedly involve some contractors who are not U.S. citizens, the application of U.S. domestic law in an extraterritorial setting is unclear and has never been tested. This appears to leave an incredible vacuum. Indeed, as Phillip Carter, a former Army officer now at UCLA Law School, says, “Legally speaking, (military contractors in Iraq) actually fall into the same gray area as the unlawful combatants detained at Guant?namo Bay.”
This is the worst case scenario and it should have been predicted.
“Donate to Barack Obama!”
It makes a GREAT Mother’s Day Gift!*
Remember Bean and Renner as well.
*stolen shamelessly from Austin Mayor in comments.
It would appear the College Republicans at Cornell College (yes Zorn, both Mike Conklin and I went there and actually belonged to the same local version of a fraternity)–many years apart of course–have honored the time-honored tradition of being paranoid and whining. While I was there, the Fellowship Of Christian Athletes were offended by an art exhibit including painted nudes and turned around most of the painting to not be offended. So much for that liberal arts education they payed for.
In other snits, a couple of the turds used to yell at the lady who ran the food service. Well, until I inserted my nose about an inch from his face and I was about twice his size. Libby only liked me–something about saying thank you and asking how she was doing from time to time. And not putting up with spoiled bullies.
And, Lane, I can send a pic if little Leland wants to add me to any of his watches. I’m still trying to get reviewed for David Horowitz’s little site.
There were efforts to start an advertiser boycott.
But when Reynolds approvingly notes that pictures of torture might have motivated the North Koreans….not much. And actually other than some castigating of the point, I have better things than to worry about his sponsors, but don’t give me any of Glenn’s self-righteous nonsense when he posts:
North Korea, probably the world’s most secretive and isolated nation, has offered an olive branch to the US by promising never to sell nuclear materials to terrorists, calling for Washington’s friendship and saying it does not want to suffer the fate of Iraq.
Hmm.
UPDATE: Tim Blair: “Maybe it was those prison photographs that scared ’em.”
I think the current Chief Illiniwek is a mockery of a proud people, but that doesn’t mean any American Indian mascot or name is offensive.
Oneman points out the University of Iowa has cancelled a game against the Bradley Braves due to a policy prohibiting games against non-conference games with American Indian mascots. Oneman makes a good point about conference/nonconference games, but more troubling is that if a team were to have a mascot that did honor American Indians, this policy would exclude them. I think we make mistake in glorifying tribes as pure, but there are many amazing traits of American Indian tribes that can translate into an excellent standard for which teams and schools to strive. As such, an American Indian name and a respectful mascot could be an excellent teaching tool.
We hold our soldiers to high standards and we should expect high morals, but we also should well understand that torture is not some third world event. In Illinois there was routine torture by John Burge and his fellow officers over several years. It turns out several of the tortured were innocent of those charges. Carol Marin brings it up at a time that should remind us that just as we are horrified at the treatment of Iraqis, we should be horrified by the treatment of Americans under specific members of the Chicago PD.
Torture is not only inhumane, but it is ineffective. If we have 20 minutes until an A-bomb goes off, we might forgive as Steve Chapman once suggested, but in every day life the only way torture can be justified is by assuming the torturer is infallible and that is never the case.
Exposing environmental programs usually brings an attack from the green direction. Their usual tactic is to intimidate and belittle the writer. Greens hate for the general public to know their real agenda – which is to control all property – on land and water.
Yes, I belittle Joyce. There is a reason for that. Actually more than one.
1) She is a loon.
2) She is incoherent
3) Not only incoherent, but she writes stream of consciousness garbage.
4) She is loon.
The leader claims to have editors, perhaps they should use them. There is no coherent point in this slop unless you think that conspiracy theories strung together are coherent.
The environmentalists over all agenda is to close down “working rivers” and return them to free, meandering rivers. This would take the rivers back to the days of Lewis and Clark and before. While this may sound like a good idea, think about the days of Lewis and Clark and then decide if you want to do without insect spray, showers, hot water, microwaves, air-conditioning and all the conveniences that Lewis and Clark could not possibly envision.
What the hell does restoring a habitat have to do with going without insect spray?
ANYONE?
The point of restoring the Missouri flow is not only about restoring habitat, but also retaining other industries dependent on a natural flow. It isn’t environmentalists against barges, it is barges against fisheries and recreation and environmentalists, but God forbid someone point this out to Joyce.
Here’s an idea, why not have a columnist who is more friendly towards market based solutions in relation to the environment. Even some of us who consider themselves staunch environmentalists would be open to new mechanisms of protection. Or just keep running a loon. It is, at least entertaining.
This isn’t meant to be a dig at Jeff, but his site needs some organization. It takes a while to get used to html and blogging for those not familiar with it so here is what he needs:
A blog host that can hold excerpts and extended entries–this would ensure he could tease the highlights and then put the full text in the post without the reader getting lost.
Someone to update the basic text to make it a bit easier to read.
So someone see if you can help him out, I think a lot of the content is quite good–especially for us without access to the show.
A couple highlights I found interesting include
1) the discussion on affordable housing. Jeff is a bit unfair when he suggests that a 10% target would mean all poor people should be able to live in any communities. First, the bill isn’t just about the poor, but those of modest means. Second, 10% affordable hardly affords all people in the class the ability to live somewhere. It does however, encourage less economic segregation. The problem is the affordable units may not remain that way (depending on tax credit restrictions I suppose) since people pay amazing sums to live in what they perceive as a good districts. The idea isn’t as crazy as Jeff makes it out to be and within the constraints of a program that operates primarily by carrots it could produce some good results.
2) The requirements in NCLB do add costs and in some of the more successful districts it is unclear that the NCLB strategies are superior. So adding tutoring may not be as effective as other strategies in that community, but it is required. Additionally, we know the rather ridiculous conditions under which it can identify a school or District as underperforming with a small sample of students.
3) Serafin’s take on the Senate Race and Ryan’s decisions is quite good.
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