NC/VA Kickin' Ass Too
About the Author
Opinion, news, thoughts and rants, politics and faith, LGBT issues and all matters of equality relevant to folks in NC and VA. Local posters who meet/met on the main Kicking Ass blog.
We're, what now? 6 to 8 generations away from the American Revolution. We're spoiled with always having had the Bill of Rights. These Republics, they've got nothing into it, so it's easy for them to exchange actual freedom for just the mere trappings of freedom.
Take this flag-burning beeyess that Congress had to put through instead of taking care of actual business. The Republics were all for it; they never once stopped to think that when a symbol of freedom is raised above freedom itself, then freedom itself becomes an unattainable dream.
In the republic-world, down is up, black is white, science is fantasy and fairy-tales are not to be questioned as a matter of "faith". Similarly, endless restrictions and punishments equate to "freedom". Yeah, you'd have to be as crazy as a shithouse rat to believe half the things they do; but that's another post. I've come to regard republicanism as a mental disorder the prevents people from considering the consequences of their actions, no matter how self-destructive those actions may be.
F'rinstance, if you throw away your first and fourth amendment rights and can no longer dissent with an obviously corrupt government, then add to that the notion that the government can spy on anyone at any time, how TF can any sane person regard that as being "freer".
Right.
Read More »Build a Frontier and You Get Cowboys
From HuffPo
There's much more at the link. Emphasis above is mine.
Our constitution does not allow for a shadow government, nor should we tolerate treasonous, anti-American factions in our midst. The constitution strictly forbids the amassing of private armies -- we have a military for that very purpose. Congress should immediately nationalize Blackwater et al, and members of these illegal private militias should be conscripted to fill the shortfall in military recruiting.
They wanna play soldier? I say, let them be soldiers -- in the legitmate and constitutionally-provided military.
Privateering outlaws with guns and obscene pay, proselytizing cultists in the military... This is the madness the neoKKKons have wrought. Lady Liberty has doused her torch, turned away and hung her head in shame at what treasonous profiteers and subversive cultists have turned our nation into.
I suspect that Ben Franklin and Ike have rolled over in their graves, mumbling "I told you so."
From HuffPo
Yesterday we talked about the Blackwater scandal, setting it in the larger context of what Naomi calls the new economy of the Disaster Capitalism Complex. We also talked about cowboys, frontiers and the perennial power of John Wayne. Here's the rest of that discussion:
Cusack: So apart from getting obscenely rich, what are these private security and other contractor companies doing with this tsunami of public money that is being thrown at them?
Klein: Well, unlike the government, which has allowed the public infrastructure to erode so that we now have collapsing bridges and levees, these guys are making serious and sturdy capital investments. They're planning for the future, building infrastructure -- in Blackwater's case, paramilitary infrastructure. Founded in 1996, the company has used the steady stream of contracts during the Bush years to build up a private army of twenty thousand on-call mercenary soldiers and a massive military base in North Carolina worth between $40 and $50 million. They have armored vehicles, helicopter gunships, manmade lakes, a Boeing 767, a Zeppelin.
Cusack: Like the Hindenburg -- Eric Prince has a lot of toys. The Zeppelin -- that one had to be the fulfillment of a boyhood dream.
Klein: You hear people complain about how Hezbollah is a "state-within-a-state" in Lebanon -- what about Blackwater in the USA? And that's just one company of hundreds, and a relatively small player compared to Lockheed and GE and Booz Allen. But once again, we can't keep being surprised by this shadow world -- it is an inevitable consequence of Rumsfeld's vision of an outsourced and contracted-out state. A right-wing journal in the U.S. called Blackwater "al Qaeda for the good guys" and it's a striking analogy.
There's much more at the link. Emphasis above is mine.
Our constitution does not allow for a shadow government, nor should we tolerate treasonous, anti-American factions in our midst. The constitution strictly forbids the amassing of private armies -- we have a military for that very purpose. Congress should immediately nationalize Blackwater et al, and members of these illegal private militias should be conscripted to fill the shortfall in military recruiting.
They wanna play soldier? I say, let them be soldiers -- in the legitmate and constitutionally-provided military.
Privateering outlaws with guns and obscene pay, proselytizing cultists in the military... This is the madness the neoKKKons have wrought. Lady Liberty has doused her torch, turned away and hung her head in shame at what treasonous profiteers and subversive cultists have turned our nation into.
I suspect that Ben Franklin and Ike have rolled over in their graves, mumbling "I told you so."
Yesterday, my partner and I traveled to Chapel Hill, NC, to join members of the Orange County Democratic Party, Health Care for all NC, and the BlueNC bloggers in viewing Michael Moore's powerful documentary, "Sicko". While I'll tell you all the "Sicko" is a must-see, that is the less important news I have to bring to the national community.
North Carolina is actually considering something extremely progressive and beneficial to its citizens -- but this is going to require help from every Tarheel Democrat and every supporter we can muster. You see, instead of the Republican-type constitutional amendments that codify hatred, bigotry and racism into state constitutions, NC Democrats are doing exactly what they were elected to do: to propose an amendment to the state constitution that will bring equal access to affordable health care for all NC citizens.
That's what Democrats do -- we serve the people instead of serving bigoted, profiteering special interests. But we must link arms with one another, stand firm and do some really hard work and very quickly, if we expect to see this referendum on the ballot in 2008.
the sense of silent, helpless rage at the brass-balled audacity of the repigs. The 1-in-5'er Malkintents are whining that Bush didn't go far enough in excusing lawlessness. I beg their humblest fucking pardon. This is America and the majority of us won't stand for their lawlessness and utter lack of morality any longer. Read More »
This is but one example among many why every Progressive needs to read the link that Fade2Bluz left on the open thread this morning. There were many former posters on the Open Thread (who have since left in disgust at the lack of troll-control) who were keeping an eye on hate-radio and hate-blogs. There's no want of right-wing insanity, certainly no want of examples of their calling for violence from without and within.
This is what happens when the GOP takes on every dissident, nut-fringe, wackogelical, criminal and criminally-insane group and calls them its "base". "Base" would certainly be the correct term, in the sense of "low", "worst", "cheapest", etc. I have to ask the 80% of America who aren't in the nutcase "base", is this what you want to continue running the show? Read More »
This is what happens when the GOP takes on every dissident, nut-fringe, wackogelical, criminal and criminally-insane group and calls them its "base". "Base" would certainly be the correct term, in the sense of "low", "worst", "cheapest", etc. I have to ask the 80% of America who aren't in the nutcase "base", is this what you want to continue running the show? Read More »
Tonight, I suppose, more than any other in my life, do I feel the press of 300 years of American ancestry. Tonight, more than any other so far in my life, do I feel such an anxiety about what kind of world I'm soon (well, in the next score-or-so of years) to hand down.
It is with many an emotional and tearful redaction that I humbly offer this petition to you, my American brothers and sisters.
Nothing makes one evaluate one's legacy until some kinfolk with "grand" in their kinship arrives. We are most certainly closer to a constitutional crisis than ever before in American history, albeit in the scope of world history, a short, but colorful one.
As I have posted before, my roots reach 300+ years into North Carolina soil. Well, if you trace my white roots, that is. My mellungeon and Native roots run far deeper. I am ineluctibly tied and bound to this soil. My love for this place, this state, and this nation is that of a mix of a mother, a daughter and a lover all at once. This is my home, the land of my eleven-grands-parents and the joy I hope to hand down.
Equal in importance to me are my ties to the Constitution of the United States. North Carolina was known as the Hornets' Nest, the Cradle of Liberty, the home of the Regulators, the First in Freedom and so much more. Two of my many-greats grandfathers were present at the signing of the Mecklenburg Resolves. The Yankees love to talk about Boston, the Minutemen and that's what we got fed in grade-school. When one investigates the time-line of American history, one will find that North Carolina led the way in every way, shape and form.
Of this, am I sprung.
As North Carolinians, we are born an independent people, neither quite red nor blue, classically purplish demopublican; the first to declare independence from Britain, the last to secede from the Union (amidst great internal strife), and we love being Americans.
Well, it seems to me that we used to. My heart breaks; breaks quite in finely-shattered pieces that we seem to have lost our way, our fire, our passion, and our cherished independence.
Sadly, too many of us have thrown away that heritage of proud, independent thought and such a way of life to accept whatever cheap Chinese crap Wallyworld was pushing this week.
Dear G'd, forgive us for not appreciating the gift of independent thought and free will You gave. I, for one, beg Your forgiveness at the lack of consideration in negligently tossing away the bounty of intelligence and considerate mentation You so freely gave.
During my short lifetime (I'll be 50 in two weeks), we've gone from the world leader in textiles and chemistry to accepting last place in whatever.
I mean simply "whatever". However heartbreaking a term that may be, ish-allah, one must admit, here we are. How was it so easy, so slippery-slidey, down-the-red-clay-bank to just toss it all over our collective shouler?
NC used to have a fine educational system. To wit: I learned English (and have an Appalachian hillbilly's Elizabethan joy in the sweet slipperiness of our language of commerce). This joy of language wasn't acquired at my mother's breast; it was fostered in our school system. My Appalachian kinsfolk reveled in its ancient and modern twists and turns.
Since I'm a child of the 1960's, I was exposed to New Math. Since this is America, I had an equal chance at travelling to the moon. Right? Or am I sadly mistaken?
I'll freely admit, my notion of trigonometry still stinks, but in the least, I was exposed. Granted my lack of talent in that direction, I still was given the chance. Such was the pride of NC's school system -- even the least of us (of which I am certainly one) had the promise of being "something more", "something better" than that poor lot from which we were sprung.
In me, it seemed to take.
I'm not convinced in the least that NCLB offers anywhere near the same degree of opportunity. There are younger people posting on many of the blogs I'm wont to inhabit, who can barely spell "cat". When did we lose our pride in excellence and just bloody when did we as a nation lose our will to excel?
When did "good enough" become good enough?
I yearn, deeply in my soul, I yearn to know. Was it the privation and poverty of my youth that commands me to appreciate the potential and promise that the word and concept the very and singular word "America" brings? What is that allows today's youth to believe that all that we have, all that for which our ancestors have striven is simply "for granted".
Allow me to be among the many Progressive patriots who will assure you that freedom is never "for granted". It must be worked, sweated in sweltering summers, shivered in bitter snows, and wrenchingly labored for. It must be at momentary personal risk. One must be willing to suffer for it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be "freedom" or "liberty" or any other human prize worth existing for.
Occasionally, in such as times as these, one must be willing to die, if necessary, for it. In an age where, at any moment, any one of us can be snatched off the street and imprisoned in Gitmo for opposing the regime (think, just for a second how completely unAmerican a concept that is!!), the idea of American democracy and freedom seem especially rare and precious a commodity.
My ancestors would spin in their graves at the mere passing thought of how close we are coming. My soul cannot rest at night. My spirit cries out to G'd for respite, for mercy, for Goodness to prevail. Again, to each one, "it is up to me, in just this minute, to shine but a spark of light, a notion of kindness, a mercy of liberty and dignity" which defines us as truly and inextricably American, one which strives to overcome the sins of Manifest Destiny and yearns to unite and assuage the hurts and harms, to form a fair, unique and thoughtful family in which each gets an equal place at the table of life: just as Jesus would have been proud to have fostered.
On Memorial Day, I must look back fondly (and somewhat aghast at my youthful audacity) at my service to my country. In my family, it was expected that a young man provide for his country as his country had cradled and provided for him. It was never a question: one provided for that which provided for him.
G'd help us every one, there is no excuse, but that is the sudden depressing -- nay, appalling -- reality with which we are faced. My heart sinks and tears fill my eyes at how easy it has been for us to piss it away. We are at no closer point of losing our cherished Constitutional rights and freedoms that this particular moment in time.
Did the sacrifices of our ancestors mean nothing at all? Does the blood of our fallen veterans mean nothing? Does our national pride, our personal, day-to-day dignity mean so little? Surely, surely-to-G'd, we have more pride and dignity than to allow the few, the privileged, the callous, to purchase for nothing and sell off at profit our national pride, dignity and standing for nothing more than Chinese-manufactured polyester American flags hawked by Wallyworld seems to me altogether all-to inconscionably cheap a price; a mere thrippance on a ten-pound note.
On this Memorial Day, I ask you to think of my fellow veterans; not only of this age, but of centuries past. I ask you to ponder, just for one fleeting moment, the privations and sacrifices of our mothers and fathers of this and centuries past. I ask you to imagine our forefathers suffering in bitter snows, in hunger and in passionate hope of true liberty, true dignity and honest and dignified justice for all -- not just the few.
In G'd's name, please allow this veteran to ask you humbly, in an an earnest and subservient petition to pause -- just for a moment -- to consider and give thanks to G'd for this, the most golden opportunity that Mother Gaia provides, to give thanks that our Founders and Framers loved us so much in G'd's name, to craft, create, and hand down our precious Bill of Rights,
My prayer is that you find it equally worth upholding, protecting and defending, against all enemies, foreign and (think carefully about it!) domestic.
In nomine Domine.
It is with many an emotional and tearful redaction that I humbly offer this petition to you, my American brothers and sisters.
Nothing makes one evaluate one's legacy until some kinfolk with "grand" in their kinship arrives. We are most certainly closer to a constitutional crisis than ever before in American history, albeit in the scope of world history, a short, but colorful one.
As I have posted before, my roots reach 300+ years into North Carolina soil. Well, if you trace my white roots, that is. My mellungeon and Native roots run far deeper. I am ineluctibly tied and bound to this soil. My love for this place, this state, and this nation is that of a mix of a mother, a daughter and a lover all at once. This is my home, the land of my eleven-grands-parents and the joy I hope to hand down.
Equal in importance to me are my ties to the Constitution of the United States. North Carolina was known as the Hornets' Nest, the Cradle of Liberty, the home of the Regulators, the First in Freedom and so much more. Two of my many-greats grandfathers were present at the signing of the Mecklenburg Resolves. The Yankees love to talk about Boston, the Minutemen and that's what we got fed in grade-school. When one investigates the time-line of American history, one will find that North Carolina led the way in every way, shape and form.
Of this, am I sprung.
As North Carolinians, we are born an independent people, neither quite red nor blue, classically purplish demopublican; the first to declare independence from Britain, the last to secede from the Union (amidst great internal strife), and we love being Americans.
Well, it seems to me that we used to. My heart breaks; breaks quite in finely-shattered pieces that we seem to have lost our way, our fire, our passion, and our cherished independence.
Sadly, too many of us have thrown away that heritage of proud, independent thought and such a way of life to accept whatever cheap Chinese crap Wallyworld was pushing this week.
Dear G'd, forgive us for not appreciating the gift of independent thought and free will You gave. I, for one, beg Your forgiveness at the lack of consideration in negligently tossing away the bounty of intelligence and considerate mentation You so freely gave.
During my short lifetime (I'll be 50 in two weeks), we've gone from the world leader in textiles and chemistry to accepting last place in whatever.
I mean simply "whatever". However heartbreaking a term that may be, ish-allah, one must admit, here we are. How was it so easy, so slippery-slidey, down-the-red-clay-bank to just toss it all over our collective shouler?
NC used to have a fine educational system. To wit: I learned English (and have an Appalachian hillbilly's Elizabethan joy in the sweet slipperiness of our language of commerce). This joy of language wasn't acquired at my mother's breast; it was fostered in our school system. My Appalachian kinsfolk reveled in its ancient and modern twists and turns.
Since I'm a child of the 1960's, I was exposed to New Math. Since this is America, I had an equal chance at travelling to the moon. Right? Or am I sadly mistaken?
I'll freely admit, my notion of trigonometry still stinks, but in the least, I was exposed. Granted my lack of talent in that direction, I still was given the chance. Such was the pride of NC's school system -- even the least of us (of which I am certainly one) had the promise of being "something more", "something better" than that poor lot from which we were sprung.
In me, it seemed to take.
I'm not convinced in the least that NCLB offers anywhere near the same degree of opportunity. There are younger people posting on many of the blogs I'm wont to inhabit, who can barely spell "cat". When did we lose our pride in excellence and just bloody when did we as a nation lose our will to excel?
When did "good enough" become good enough?
I yearn, deeply in my soul, I yearn to know. Was it the privation and poverty of my youth that commands me to appreciate the potential and promise that the word and concept the very and singular word "America" brings? What is that allows today's youth to believe that all that we have, all that for which our ancestors have striven is simply "for granted".
Allow me to be among the many Progressive patriots who will assure you that freedom is never "for granted". It must be worked, sweated in sweltering summers, shivered in bitter snows, and wrenchingly labored for. It must be at momentary personal risk. One must be willing to suffer for it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be "freedom" or "liberty" or any other human prize worth existing for.
Occasionally, in such as times as these, one must be willing to die, if necessary, for it. In an age where, at any moment, any one of us can be snatched off the street and imprisoned in Gitmo for opposing the regime (think, just for a second how completely unAmerican a concept that is!!), the idea of American democracy and freedom seem especially rare and precious a commodity.
My ancestors would spin in their graves at the mere passing thought of how close we are coming. My soul cannot rest at night. My spirit cries out to G'd for respite, for mercy, for Goodness to prevail. Again, to each one, "it is up to me, in just this minute, to shine but a spark of light, a notion of kindness, a mercy of liberty and dignity" which defines us as truly and inextricably American, one which strives to overcome the sins of Manifest Destiny and yearns to unite and assuage the hurts and harms, to form a fair, unique and thoughtful family in which each gets an equal place at the table of life: just as Jesus would have been proud to have fostered.
On Memorial Day, I must look back fondly (and somewhat aghast at my youthful audacity) at my service to my country. In my family, it was expected that a young man provide for his country as his country had cradled and provided for him. It was never a question: one provided for that which provided for him.
G'd help us every one, there is no excuse, but that is the sudden depressing -- nay, appalling -- reality with which we are faced. My heart sinks and tears fill my eyes at how easy it has been for us to piss it away. We are at no closer point of losing our cherished Constitutional rights and freedoms that this particular moment in time.
Did the sacrifices of our ancestors mean nothing at all? Does the blood of our fallen veterans mean nothing? Does our national pride, our personal, day-to-day dignity mean so little? Surely, surely-to-G'd, we have more pride and dignity than to allow the few, the privileged, the callous, to purchase for nothing and sell off at profit our national pride, dignity and standing for nothing more than Chinese-manufactured polyester American flags hawked by Wallyworld seems to me altogether all-to inconscionably cheap a price; a mere thrippance on a ten-pound note.
On this Memorial Day, I ask you to think of my fellow veterans; not only of this age, but of centuries past. I ask you to ponder, just for one fleeting moment, the privations and sacrifices of our mothers and fathers of this and centuries past. I ask you to imagine our forefathers suffering in bitter snows, in hunger and in passionate hope of true liberty, true dignity and honest and dignified justice for all -- not just the few.
In G'd's name, please allow this veteran to ask you humbly, in an an earnest and subservient petition to pause -- just for a moment -- to consider and give thanks to G'd for this, the most golden opportunity that Mother Gaia provides, to give thanks that our Founders and Framers loved us so much in G'd's name, to craft, create, and hand down our precious Bill of Rights,
My prayer is that you find it equally worth upholding, protecting and defending, against all enemies, foreign and (think carefully about it!) domestic.
In nomine Domine.
Yesterday morning has brought some interesting posts to the DNC's Kicking Ass open thread. I posted a response that I hope will provoke some thought and (somewhere, somehow) promote thought and truth to action. Herewith:
The thread started with still-more shocked posts at the Sunday bobbleheads who are praising the still-dead Falwell. I had to respond:
Falwell? A hero? A man who committed daily sedition, who trained moles to infiltrate the government, emplaced them in the loving arms of the Bush administration for the sole purpose of overturning the Constitution, who self-admittedly was attempting to overthrow our system of laws and replace our government with a twisted, Moon-soaked theocracy at which, naturally, only he and is closest adherents would be at the top? Falwell is no hero to any patriotic American.
Read More »
The thread started with still-more shocked posts at the Sunday bobbleheads who are praising the still-dead Falwell. I had to respond:
Falwell? A hero? A man who committed daily sedition, who trained moles to infiltrate the government, emplaced them in the loving arms of the Bush administration for the sole purpose of overturning the Constitution, who self-admittedly was attempting to overthrow our system of laws and replace our government with a twisted, Moon-soaked theocracy at which, naturally, only he and is closest adherents would be at the top? Falwell is no hero to any patriotic American.
Read More »
I've been inundated with emails and lists chronicaling the fallout from the Foley Cover-up scandals. I'm still righteously angry with the LCR bunch. I never could wrap my head around the atrocious mental gymnastics of trying to reconcile being gay and voting Republican. They knew as well as I did that the party of oral values would use LGBT people as political fodder and throw us under the bus at every opportunity. So far, the pugs have missed no opportunity to use LGBT folks as demons. Rick Santorum (who has several gay staff members) said that homosexuality was the greatest threat to national security. It certainly didn't seem to be a threat to his hiring of quisling gay office staff.
Sphinctorum is certainly one to talk -- he's at the top of the list of perv-enabling idiots. Read More »
Sphinctorum is certainly one to talk -- he's at the top of the list of perv-enabling idiots. Read More »
Chore-day here, dogs washed, sweet potatoes dug from the garden, many a mile yet to go...
While I've been pottering, we've surfed the "news" channels. I've been bugged by this for several days now and need to air it out. Pat Buchanan (the idiot ass that he is) continuously spews that Nancy Pelosi marched with NAMBLA floats, repeating this over and over like a hysterical schoolgirl, insisting there are ghosts around every possible corner ("I do believe in spooks; I do believe in spooks; I do! I do I do!! Read More »
While I've been pottering, we've surfed the "news" channels. I've been bugged by this for several days now and need to air it out. Pat Buchanan (the idiot ass that he is) continuously spews that Nancy Pelosi marched with NAMBLA floats, repeating this over and over like a hysterical schoolgirl, insisting there are ghosts around every possible corner ("I do believe in spooks; I do believe in spooks; I do! I do I do!! Read More »
Mainstream media are making much of yet another Congressional sex scandal.
What will be telling is how the investigation will unfold. Or there will be a repeated stonewall. Or "we'll investigate ourselves". We see how well that worked out before. I hope Pelosi is successful in getting sworn testimony. Unfortunately, we also remember how well that has worked before as well.
I wonder if the whole thing isn't orchestrated to draw attention away from the demise of habeas corpus. If in fact Hastert et al knew about Foley's activities at least a year before now (admitting only to six months), it certainly seems convenient to me for them to drop the ball now, just in front of elections.
That's not a slip the RNC makes. Read More »
What will be telling is how the investigation will unfold. Or there will be a repeated stonewall. Or "we'll investigate ourselves". We see how well that worked out before. I hope Pelosi is successful in getting sworn testimony. Unfortunately, we also remember how well that has worked before as well.
I wonder if the whole thing isn't orchestrated to draw attention away from the demise of habeas corpus. If in fact Hastert et al knew about Foley's activities at least a year before now (admitting only to six months), it certainly seems convenient to me for them to drop the ball now, just in front of elections.
That's not a slip the RNC makes. Read More »
I'm still shaking my head in amazement from yesterday's passage of a bill that not only authorizes the use of torture, but abrogates over 200 years of settled Constitutional law.
When I volunteered for the military some thirtyish years back, I promised with G'd's help to protect, uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Not coincidentally, people elected to serve in the halls of Congress make nearly exactly the same oath. The first item to which one pledges absolute loyalty and defense is to the Constitution.
Because I gave my promise and asked G'd for His help to keep me true to that promise, I took it (and still do take it) very seriously. That promise was in honor of the men and women who sacrificed much (if not all) to create the United States and the Constitution that makes it the country that it is.
Destroy the Constitution and you destroy that which is in and of itself America.
These Republicans (and a list of traitorous Democrats as well), with their undying loyalty to the overthrow of the Constitution are the same "Got more Jesus than yew!" crowd who assaulted us with their Leviticus-ized version of cult-christianity from one end of the air-waves to the other one. Read More »
When I volunteered for the military some thirtyish years back, I promised with G'd's help to protect, uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Not coincidentally, people elected to serve in the halls of Congress make nearly exactly the same oath. The first item to which one pledges absolute loyalty and defense is to the Constitution.
Because I gave my promise and asked G'd for His help to keep me true to that promise, I took it (and still do take it) very seriously. That promise was in honor of the men and women who sacrificed much (if not all) to create the United States and the Constitution that makes it the country that it is.
Destroy the Constitution and you destroy that which is in and of itself America.
These Republicans (and a list of traitorous Democrats as well), with their undying loyalty to the overthrow of the Constitution are the same "Got more Jesus than yew!" crowd who assaulted us with their Leviticus-ized version of cult-christianity from one end of the air-waves to the other one. Read More »
How many more expert interrogators are going to have to come forward saying that torture does not now, nor has it ever worked. People will say anything to make the pain and humiliation stop (check out how many "real" witches were burnt or hanged. Not a damned one ever over thousands of lives pissed away.)
I've worked beside some pretty amazing interrogators a long time ago. Believe me, those guys could meet you on the street, never saw you before, ask you about five questions and tell you you whole life's story. Professional interrogators are not stupid people and don't need to resort to stupid tactics. Doing what they do, the way they do it is quite sufficient to obtain any information they want. Any information. And don't think you can be cute, coy or flippant. They know the difference between those and the truth, which they will have, given a suprisingly small amount of time. They can spot a lie or a micro-expression from ten miles back.
Real interrogators simply don't need torture. It's incredibly naive (bordering upon stupid) to believe that one can beat reliable information out of someone. You can't.
Bottom line, the guy in the Oval Office loves the thrill of power over others, the same way he got a powerful charge off of sticking firecrackers in frog's butts. Probably gave him a woo... uh, well, make that a toothpick. Just like Frist enjoyed torturing cats (and apparently is salivating over the idea of upgrading to humans).
Torture degrades the torturer as much as it does the one being tortured. I'm reasonably familiar with the Gospels and I'm really having a hard time coming up with any place where Jesus said it's okay to do violence on another human being. I'm pretty sure He didn't because his second commandment (which, please recall, He called "equal to the first") was to love one another. Not to kick your opponent in the jewels the instant he stumbles.
I'm not over my rant just yet, but I'll leave with a satirical piece from the Guardian from June 2004 back (how eerily prophetic...). It's a sad, sad state of affairs when more than two years later we're still even entertaining the notion... Read More »
I've worked beside some pretty amazing interrogators a long time ago. Believe me, those guys could meet you on the street, never saw you before, ask you about five questions and tell you you whole life's story. Professional interrogators are not stupid people and don't need to resort to stupid tactics. Doing what they do, the way they do it is quite sufficient to obtain any information they want. Any information. And don't think you can be cute, coy or flippant. They know the difference between those and the truth, which they will have, given a suprisingly small amount of time. They can spot a lie or a micro-expression from ten miles back.
Real interrogators simply don't need torture. It's incredibly naive (bordering upon stupid) to believe that one can beat reliable information out of someone. You can't.
Bottom line, the guy in the Oval Office loves the thrill of power over others, the same way he got a powerful charge off of sticking firecrackers in frog's butts. Probably gave him a woo... uh, well, make that a toothpick. Just like Frist enjoyed torturing cats (and apparently is salivating over the idea of upgrading to humans).
Torture degrades the torturer as much as it does the one being tortured. I'm reasonably familiar with the Gospels and I'm really having a hard time coming up with any place where Jesus said it's okay to do violence on another human being. I'm pretty sure He didn't because his second commandment (which, please recall, He called "equal to the first") was to love one another. Not to kick your opponent in the jewels the instant he stumbles.
I'm not over my rant just yet, but I'll leave with a satirical piece from the Guardian from June 2004 back (how eerily prophetic...). It's a sad, sad state of affairs when more than two years later we're still even entertaining the notion... Read More »
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