The White House has finally ended its long and agonizing search for a “war czar.” The lucky individual will be something of an acting commander -in-chief for the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.
The lucky applicant is Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute.
Hmm…General Lute…what a terrific choice to accompany President Lyre.
I thought Nancy “Plunder” Pelosi works better. When he meets Mrs Speaker it will be:
Lute and Plunder
At this pace we’ll soon need a czar czar.
They finally found someone who has no authority but gets to take all the blame.
The appointment of LTG Lute under the auspices of the National Security Council makes sense. It points to a failure of the NSC rather than representing an outsourcing of command. The global war on terror, with the main theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan, is not a wholly military affair. It is a full-spectrum affair requiring the coordination and cooperation of a multitude of agencies, GOs, IOs, NGOs, which means bureaucratic headaches multiplied. On the ground, that job goes to (military) Civil Affairs and PRTs. From the President’s office, inter-agency management traditionally falls to the NSC, where LTG Lute now works.
This move makes it obvious that the NSC has not been effective vis-a-vis Iraq and Afghanistan. President Bush’s job as CinC hasn’t changed with this appointment, nor does it warp the existing chain of command in Iraq and/or CentCom. The simple assumption is that LTG Lute’s role in the NSC will be to manage the cooperation and coordination of agencies and possibly act as a direct representative of the President who can move freely across bureaucracies vis-a-vis Iraq and Afghanistan . . . in other words, what the NSC should have been doing anyway.
Like the surge strategy, this “war czar” signifies a lesson learned and a President (belatedly?) willing to bite the bullet on a home-team failure and make adjustments. I just hope we’re learning these hard lessons in time to make a difference.
From National Security Council’s Function:
The National Security Council is the President’s principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception under President Truman, the function of the Council has been to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies. The Council also serves as the President’s principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government agencies.
@1 Just practice saying “President Pelosi,” pudding head. She’s third in the line of succession; and the two ahead of her are both criminals.
Rev. Jerry Falwell died today, thereby saving $$$$$$$$$ for many “SOCIALLY CONSERVATIVE” yet massively beer imbibing double-wide dwellers.
One good thing I can say about the man is that he’s no longer alive.
Investigative Journalist Says Rove Wanted Voter Arrests
How did into the cesspool of illegality and immorality did the GOP vote-suppression campaign sink? This deep:
“In the 2004 presidential election, … Republican officials wanted Iglesias to arrest some voters to create a high publicity show trial. Iglesias went along with the game. Just before the 2004 election, he held a press conference announcing the creation of a vote fraud task force. But the prosecutor drew the line at arresting innocent voters.”
And paid for it with his job.
http://tinyurl.com/297puj
Why Iglesias Was Fired
Investigative journalist Greg Palast wrote:
“Understand what this is about. … A quarter-million voters were turned away for having the wrong ID, but no one was arrested. So Karl Rove and his assistant Tim Griffin are in a panic. You’re turning away thousands of voters, you’re not arresting any. So he’s … demanding Iglesias — and now we know a half dozen others, almost everyone that was fired — … just grab people. That’s where Iglesias drew the line in the sand. He said … literally handcuffing innocent voters for show trials — and then, of course, then you drop the case later — that is one thing he absolutely was not going to do.”
THAT is what they fired him for. http://tinyurl.com/297puj
The comment @1 is what rank hypocrisy looks like.
Oh, good! Now somebody will be in charge of the wars while Daddy is passed out on drugs!
Bush needs a Grant.
Port Made $85,000,000 Profit In 2006, So Where’s My Tax Cut?
Danny Westneat of the Seattle Fishwrapper writes:
“Great news! A local government agency is flush with money. … I learned it by reading a triumphant four-page advertisement in my Sunday paper, placed by that mysterious gang that runs the Port of Seattle. … The ad … was a masterpiece of puffery, with headlines such as ‘Performance Strong, Outlook Favorable,’ and ‘Generating Income in Many Ways.’ … I got a slew of e-mails about it. Few things irritate folks like government tooting its horn at taxpayer expense ….
“One citizen, John Abel, 79, of Magnolia … noticed a key detail … the Port made a profit last year of $85 million. Holy cow, Abel said. If they’re doing so well, why do they still collect taxes from us?
“Good question. Five years ago, the Port was a break-even outfit, netting only $1.5 million on all the Sea-Tac plane traffic and cargo fees at the seaport. Business has boomed since. Revenue is up 46 percent. And operating profit is up more than 5,000 percent! …
“In that same period, the Port’s property-tax haul has soared by 58 percent. (This wasn’t mentioned in the ad — I had to look it up.) Last year it raked in $63 million from King County homeowners. This year it will be $69 million. It’s taking more and more in taxes, despite its rising profits (which are tallied separately and don’t include tax receipts). ‘In the old days, they said they had to have the taxes because they were struggling,’ Abel said. ‘What’s the reasoning now?’
“I called a couple of the Port commissioners. The Port says it still needs all the money. It is plowing it into projects at the airport, such as the third runway, and on the waterfront. …
“But it seems like we could have that and some tax relief, too. Example: Last year’s budget forecast a profit of $55 million. Yet the Port made $85 million. How about sending a bit of the gravy back to the people? Cutting the Port tax by only that $30 million extra is enough to pay for both parks levies that voters are being asked to fund in August. With some left over to help pay for the emergency-services levy voters will be asked to approve in November.
“Some ports return some profits to the public. Not ours. Ours spends it all, plus soaks up still more taxes.”
Quoted under fair use; for complete article and/or copyright info see http://tinyurl.com/ysalu2
Roger Rabbit Quiz
The Port of Seattle is
[ ] 1. The most profligate,
[ ] 2. Arrogant,
[ ] 3. Unaccountable,
[ ] 4. Despised,
[ ] 5. All of the above,
public agency in the State of Washington.
Illinois has issued a gun permit to a 10-month-old toddler. The state patrol said they can’t deny the kid a permit if he isn’t a felon because there’s no age restriction.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....mit16.html
Hmmm…? Somewhere Voice OF Chalk Scratching wrote about thread hijackers.
I always knew it was PelletHead!
Remember that large amounts of the petroleum consumed in the U.S. come from the Persian Gulf, and a lot of the profits from oil exports go to fund terrorism. And who do the Persian Gulf countries export that oil through? Companies owned by or founded by Bush/Cheney. Now we see why Bush loves the Arabs and they love him.
Real patriots wouldn’t drive around compensating for their small dicks like MTR does in a big SUV. When he fills up that tank he helps terrorists. Sounds like we should indeed start fighting the war on terror at home by getting rid of the traitors on the right.
Tell that to Heathen Sinner GGSS. Man you perfectly live up to your name.
Tell us how you get to work GGSS? Give us the details?
If MTR can drive and afford his SUV like John Effin Kerry can afford his fleet, what’s your problem?
Oh…, you still home sucking mommy’s tit? Still living at home as a useless piece of human biomass?
Thought so!
Hey GGSS I’m black and I drive an SUV. PacMan is black and he drives a truck. I guess your small dick theory is blown away!
Why do you create these alternate universes with no escape pod?
Watch GGSS@14 now. He’ll make some sex remark to “stroke” his ego.
Come on Gloomy Gus Still Stupid, Make my day!
Meanwhile GGSS is stroking himself, I found this today:
http://tinyurl.com/36jyvw
So Moonbat!s see the newest tax being dreamed up by your Moonbat!tic friends in the senate:
http://tinyurl.com/3x3qm6
PelletHead can you afford $4500 a year? Harry Reid and Hilary Clinton think so. So far Maria Moonbat! and Smarty Pants Sneakers haven’t decided!
Hey Moonbat!s even your hero Larry Flynt had something nice to say about Jerry Falwell. So did Al Sharpton, but not in this thread.
http://tinyurl.com/3aahkw
PelletHead: Cheating by your people. This should make you proud.
http://tinyurl.com/39z6db
Hey Gloomy Gus Still Stupid and others author Michael Crichton asks:
“Let’s have the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), the Sierra Club and Greenpeace make it a rule that all of their members, cannot fly on private jets. They must get their houses off the [power] grid. They must live in the way that they’re telling everyone else to live.”
Hey Puffybutt you baby-raping coward. You seem VERY interested in my dick being stroked. Perhaps this is why your muslim wife comes to my bed every night.
And as you help fund the terrorists by buying their oil, remember that real patriots, not soldier of fortune wannabe types like you, are dying in Iraq so you can pretend you aren’t a transvestite.
The death of that piece of shit Falwell is the beginning of the end for the so-called religious right. They’ve been relegated to sucking Bush’s ass – the Publican party is about to abandon these pretenders. If it doesn’t, we’ll have a super majority in the next Congress and then watch out.
Man it must suck to be a rightie these days.
Gloomy GUS Still Stupid did you catch my subtle double inference about John Effin Kerry and MTR driving SUVs and your inference about MTR in post 14?
It was subtle, but even you should figure it out!
GGSS: Wrong. I said I wondered if it could be found under the high powered Hubble Telescope remember? You are the one who makes everyday sexual references. Then when the table is turned you get pizzed off. I love it!
What do you know about sucking one’s ass? You are a Brokebutt Mountme man!
Nothing about the facts referenced above. Just continued vile bile from Stupidman!
Keep on trucking Stupidman!
Puffybutt you’ve never said anything to piss me off. I understand that you’re a simple coward, fool and child rapist. You can’t help being a turd. Your mother was married to her brother and you popped out. Then when you were drafted, you ran to Canada and hid and came back years later with the story you were a vet. You married an ugly Muslim woman with aids. Had some aids-infested kids, spent time in prison, then, while being repeatedly raped by a large black man, decided that you wanted to BE a black man, so one of your 13 personalities became black. The rest of the time, you spend helping the terrorists destroy America because it’s your way of fighting back against a system that you think screwed you. I understand you Puffybutt. I am not mad at you. I pitty you.
As for mad, remember that little rant you went on a while ago about suing me? HE HE!
Trying to get back to the point, I’ve done a bit of checking on LTG Lute.
While it looks like the President had to dig down rather far in his bag of Generals to get someone to take the job, it also looks like he might have actually found a pretty good man for the position. He’s apparently served in combat positions and done a good job.
Looking over what I can find of his record, one reason for his selection may be that he has served in a number of staff positions where he was subordinate to a more senior officer. Our President values loyalty much more than competence, and he may believe that he’s getting a “yes man” in the General.
Of course, being that our President has no real military experience, there’s a good chance that he has mistaken the proper fulfilling of the professional responsibilities of a senior staff officer for blind loyalty. If so, then Mr. Bush may find himself with something that he desparately needs but will certainly not appreciate.
Someone that will speak truth to him.
Eric Chen @ 05/15/2007 at 9:03 pm posts:
It is a full-spectrum affair requiring the coordination and cooperation of a multitude of agencies, GOs, IOs, NGOs,…
All of which have stood by for the past four years in shock and disbelief while the headless chicken we call GWOT ran around the Iraqi barnyard bleading all over everything.
For their own self-preservation these very same agencies have learned to distance themselves from the carnage or else become corrupted and rendered impotent by it.
What siren song can our tin-eared, Texan President sing to bring them back into the process at this late date?
The best thing to do about Iraq is to get out and let the ehtnic wars rage until there’s a winner. If the winner is a tyrant like Saddam, then so be it.
Getting out of Iraq also solves the Iran problem in an indirect way: with the US safely out of the way, the Israelis can do what they need to do to stop the Iranians from developing a nuke or two.
It’s time to stop involving ourselves in Middle Eastern religious wars.
GBS – Did you change you nick again in #30?
Stupidman@28: Vivid “imagination”. If you could only channel that “imagination” into something useful for society you could be dangerously good instead of useless at home.
And… if I married a Muslim woman, why do you show such hatred towards them? They are your friends. They are killing American soldiers, which you cheer.
Proud Leftist – This is your pimply faced toilet effluence. So I am clear Stupidman – Wealth brings affluence; sewage is effluence. And… he’s on your side of the aisle! Wonders never cease!
Wow another post caught in the filter.
And there were no links.
http://apnews.myway.com/articl.....I0J00.html
Democrats unable to fullfill campaign promises….
It is really simple. If the democrats want to end the war, stop the funding. But that is not what the democrats want. They want to string along the process until the next election, thus using our troops lives for their political games…..
so transparent.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Poli.....id=3165636
Here is another one…
Hypocrit lying democrats proclaim to reform lobbying as campaign issue…..Then of course don’t….
Sorry Wrong Stuff – the people have spoken. Your side got its ass kicked in 06 because your side OWNS this war. You started it – you’ll have to finish it. Or we will.
“you’ll have to finish it. Or we will.”
No, the democrats won’t…Have had plenty of time to do it and haven’t. Just more talk, but no walk.
As for “my side” owning the war…. we have the votes of all those Democrat senators authorizing the war. We have United Nations resolutions, an international coalition, and we have the previous administrations public comments about Iraq, Saddam et all.
This is where democrats miss it. The United States is at war. remember 9/11?
Now go ask your mom if you can borrow the car and go to the library.
better yet, ride your bike…
There is the school of thought as to whether the Dems are willing to bite the bullet themselves and flatly refuse to authorize funding for the war. The point’s been made that they, too, accept campaign donations from Big Oil, and Big Oil is profiting tremendously from the Iraqi oil fields being kept out of production. So…we see the Congressional leadership dancing around the concept of using the power of the purse to bring the war to an end, and bellyaching about oil company profits but certainly not summoning the courage to tax the hell out of them.
Now we have the Dem frontrunners for next year’s nomination making noise about withdrawing some time next year…..WHY??? If one accepts the postulate that we’ve created an unsalvageable clusterfuck, all that’s going to result from out people staying there for another year is that more of them are going to be killed.
we have the votes of all those Democrat senators
Democratic Senators. Many of whom have recanted. The rest of whom fell for phony intelligence. Mushroom clouds. That kind of bullshit.
We have United Nations resolutions,
Bought and paid for.
an international coalition,
El Salvador? Uzbekistan? Anyone left over there?
and we have the previous administrations public comments about Iraq, Saddam et all.
Political statements and actions to protect their right flank from the neo-con nutcases spinning fear of the swarthy evil man with the mustache.
Did he make you toss and turn at night, Wrong Stuff?
This is where democrats miss it. The United States is at war. remember 9/11?
A war against a tactic. When does it end? When all the people angry about their relatives being killed are dead? Or when all the perps of acts of terror are dead or in jail?
Like oh like the first WTC bomber?
YOS LIB BRO says:
we have the votes of all those Democrat senators
Democratic Senators. Many of whom have recanted. The rest of whom fell for phony intelligence. Mushroom clouds. That kind of bullshit. (recanted, now that’s rich….Let’s see now, in favor of it when the political landscape was very popular to do so, and of course now against it, now that the war is unpopular. Classic.. And all parties received the faulty intelligence…)
We have United Nations resolutions,
Bought and paid for.
( So we agree then that the UN is a useless organization and the US should therefore pull all funding?)
an international coalition,
El Salvador? Uzbekistan? Anyone left over there?
( Japan, Australia, England small nations like that;)…)
and we have the previous administrations public comments about Iraq, Saddam et all.
Political statements and actions to protect their right flank from the neo-con nutcases spinning fear of the swarthy evil man with the mustache.
( Well, if so, why did Sandy Berger steal NSC documents? The truth is that everyone considered Saddam a threat and that post 9/11 world landscape changed things. Saddam was a threat before 9/11 and after, only after 9/11 we stopped waiting around to be attacked…)
@45
Please.
Islamic Extremists.
Terrorists.
Stupidman. See freed post #35
The mighty four Moonbat!s voted for the measure knowing the it would go down in defeat. How political! They can say it was th right thing to do.
“WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate on Wednesday rejected legislation that would cut off money for combat operations in Iraq after March 31, 2008.
The vote was a loss for Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., and other Democrats who want to end the war. But the effort picked up support from members, including presidential hopefuls previously reluctant to limit war funding – an indication of the war’s unpopularity among voters.
The proposal lost 29-67 on a procedural vote, falling 41 votes short of the necessary votes to advance.”
GBS: I wonder how your friend Paul and the IAVA will score this one?
So Moonbat!s #48 continued: How do you accept this DEFEAT?
I thought the people spoke and the Senate would listen?
I thought the war would be stopped?
I thought the war would be defunded?
Hmmm… Stupidman and Cluelessman, I guess this was NOT what the people were asking for!
Did you ‘Bats see for the hypothetical mall attack we need a double sized Club Gitmo from the debate last night? No ACLU Moonbat! lawyers running around to defend.
I LOVE IT!
ArtFart:
While I’m not sure that I agree with them, the reason that many of our Democratic Congress members are giving for opting for a timetable rather than a simple withdrawl is the hope that such a timetable will convince the political powers over there that they have no choice but to work things out.
As it is, each is hoping that they can use the cover of our troops while they gain the upper hand.
I’m not convinced that there are enough rational people in the Iraqi government to make the call that discussion is preferable to a bloodbath, but I understand the hope.
Puddybud:
So you’ve gotten to the point where you’re cheering for attacks and using them to justify tossing the Constitution out the window.
Ok, you’ve convinced me that you have officially lost touch with reality.
HEY PUDDYBUD,
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YOUR SONS FOR BOOTCAMP? WRONG STUFF THINKS THERE’S TOO MANY ISLAMIC NUTS WITH MAD GLEAMS IN THEIR EYES.
JUST THINK THEY CAN PRACTICE “ENHANCED INTERROGATION” DOWN IN GITMO.
C’MON PUDDYBUD. I’M SURE THE MILITARY WILL RESPECT DIETARY AND SABBATH PROSCRIPTIONS. GOD’LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST!
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? WRONG STUFF SAYS THERE’S A WAR ON TERRA GOIN’ ON!
Ok, you’ve convinced me that you have officially lost touch with reality.
JOHN, I REMEMBER THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF PUDDY’S MOUTH HERE WERE “DEMOCRAPIC” AND “MOVEON.PORK”.
HE NEVER HAD ANY “TOUCH” WITH REALITY.
PUDDY? WHAT’S WITH YOU?
WHY AREN’T YOUR SONS “FIGHTING THEM OVER THERE” SO THEY “DON’T HAVE TO FIGHT THEM HERE”?
I MEAN I UNDERSTAND YOUR CASE – YOUR BLOWN OUT KNEE, OVER THE HILL, ETC..
AND WHY IS YOUR OLDEST ATTENDING A “MOONBAT!IC” SCHOOL? I DON’T GET THAT AT ALL PUDDY. WHY COULDN’T YOU FIND A DECENT WINGNUT SCHOOL FOR YOUR KID?
Wow John, you are lost in reality. What universe do you live in.
Someone walks into a mall and sets off a conventional or mini-nuke. People die.
We catch one on his way off the Florida shores. We send him down to Gitmo.
Sooooo…
Moonbat! way – Hello Ahmed. Here’s your Koran. Halal foods are right here. Let us know what you feel like telling us.
Those who think right way: Ahmed, you have one hour to tell us the full plans…
Yeah, sure, I remember 9/11. I remember all the professionals who tried to warn the new (mis)administration that something was about to happen to shut the fuck up. I remember Preznit Shithead sitting like the drooling idiot he is, pretending to read a book about a goat while 2600 people were dying. I remember how we pretended to go after bin Laden for, what? Maybe 15 minutes and then pour most of our nation’s resources into the imperial conquest of Iraq.
Yeah, I remember a lot. I hope some day to be able to forget it.
56 Continued.
Moonbat way – Oh let us read your miranda rights, even though you are not a US citizen. Let us supply you an diaper doper baby ACLU lawyer free of charge.
Right way – You are a terrorist. You are not an American citizen so the Constitution does not pertain to you.
Clueless@54: Really my first words out of my mouth? When did I send in an audio clip? Citation? URL? JACKASS – Yes you are!
Out of touch with reality? The Senate Vote Today proved where reality is!
Those who think right way: Ahmed, you have one hour to tell us the full plans…
AND HE CALLS THEIR BLUFF. HE’S NOT AFRAID TO DIE. AND TERROR CELLS ARE ALWAYS ISOLATED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND ORGANIZED AROUND ONE ACTION. HE HAS NOTHING TO TELL.
THE TRICK IS TO NIP STUFF LIKE THAT IN THE BUD. THERE ARE CHEAPER METHODS THAN INVADING A DICTATOR’S COUNTRY WHO DOESN’T LIKE PEOPLE LIKE THAT RUNNING AROUND STIRRING UP THE DUST.
YOU WOULDN’T THINK OF THESE THINGS PUDDY ‘CUZ YOU’RE SUCH A STUUUUUUUUUUPID WINGNUT!
57 Gotta proofread these things more carefully before pulling the trigger. By that first sentence I meant that the professionals in our intelligence and counterterrorism communism organizations who tried to express their concerns in the summer of 2001 to the Bush Gang were told things like “OK, you’ve covered your ass. Now shut up.”
Something that I also vividly remember, which I’m not sure everyone else does, is traveling by air a week before 9/11 and being amazed at how unusually lax airport security was. I forgot to take the change out of my pocket before walking through the metal detector and it didn’t go off. I was carrying about five dollars’ worth of change, an equivalent amount of metal to a 38 special, to say nothing about a box cutter. Quite a few other passengers were remarking about how surprised how lax it all seemed to be.
Citation? URL?
GLAD YOU ASKED.
YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY? DO TELL PUDDY. WITH BAD KNEES AND BAD FEET?
GBS – DID YOU KNOW THAT?
Oh Clueless: That was NOT the first time I posted on ASSWipes.
Good try! Now where is the audio clip? Remember you said it was out of my mouth. I don’t talk to my display!
Waaaa haaaa haaaa haaaa haaaa haaaa
Congratulations Clueless, You are now dubbed Cluelessman.
HERE’S PUDDY GOIN’ LOONY ABOUT ‘DEMOCRAPIC’.
I HAVE GOOGLE SKILLS TOO PUDDY. YOU WANT A URL WITH YOU BOASTING ABOUT YOUR GOOGLING?
Remember you said it was out of my mouth.
EVER HEAR OF SPEAKING FIGURATIVELY?
OH OF COURSE YOU DID. YOU WENT TO GRAD SCHOOL TO BE A STUUUUUUUUUUUPID WINGNUT!
PUDDY – DO YOU NEED THE NUMBER TO THE RECRUITER’S OFFICES IN EVERETT?
I MEAN YOUR FAMILY THINKS RIGHT, RIGHT? YOUR KIDS WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO IN GITMO OR DIYALA PROVINCE.
Cluelessman: You could never speak figuratively. When I write about what you blog I always say
“from your brain to your ass up to your hands through your fingers to the keyboard appearing as worthless pixels.”
See ya Cluelessman!
BYE BYE PUDDY – YOU’LL NEVER WALK YOUR RIGHT-WING BULLSHIT.
Support our troops – take their place.
Yeeeeeaaaaah, No more Cluelessman today!
I notice pudwhacker posts as much as I do. He must be gainfully unemployed like me.
No PelletHead, I have access due to other work I am doing.
@31 On the other hand, the general may turn out to be the compliant sycophant Bush hopes he is. There’s certainly no shortage of them in any of the world’s military organizations. History is littered with the carcasses of such generals (and the dead bodies of the soldiers they commanded).
PelletHead how can you afford the other $4500 a year tax when you claim 1/3 of you monthly income goes to meds?
OH HI PUDDY. HERE’S THE NUMBERS I PROMISED YOU IN EVERETT.
USMC RECRUITING
(425) 347-2505
US ARMY RECRUITING
(425) 348-5842
I LEFT OUT NAVY AND AIR FORCE. NOT “HANDS-ON” ENOUGH.
SIGN YOUR KIDS UP. EVERYONE MUST DO THEIR PART TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY FROM TERRAISTS WITH NASTY INTENTIONS AND SHARIA LAW. WE HAVE TO FIGHT THEM “OVER THERE” SO WE DON’T, BLAH, BLAH.
TIME TO WALK YOUR RIGHT-WING BULLSHIT…
YOU WOULDN’T WANT ME TO CALL “BULLSHITIUM!” ON YOU WOULD YOU?
Ok, Puddybud, since we’re tossing up strawmen, here’s one for you.
An anonymous tip comes in about a chemical attack on a large gathering. If it happens, tens of thousands may die.
So, we pick up Ahmed, not a citizen, coming out of the Mosque and whisk him down to Gitmo, where we strip him in front of female guards, tie him to a chair in a brightly lit room and play old Stryper songs at high volume for a few days. The only food he’s allowed is pork chops.
Then we ask him a bunch of questions that he doesn’t answer, so we do it again. This repeats for a few weeks until we toss him in with the general population, however, since he didn’t tell us what we wanted to know, he’s deemed “uncooperative” and a “potential threat”, so he’s not allowed a lawyer or contact with his family.
Meanwhile, Ahmed’s family has no idea where he is, but they do know that the next door neighbor (that Ahmed stopped from beating his wife) has a funny smile every time he comes home.
You’re ok with that? Civil rights are not something to throw away when they become inconvenient. Along with the simple answer that torture is wrong, there is also a secondary reason for not using it. It doesn’t work.
Those civil rights that you apparently think so little of are not there to protect the guilty, they’re there to keep the government from misusing its power. That they occasionally benefit the guilty is bad, but if you consider what routinely happens to innocent people in countries that do not respect civil rights, even you should be able to see that this is a price that we must be willing to pay.
If Ahmed had been a real terrorist, he could have given false leads until the attack happened. He would certainly believe that he would be killed afterwards, but that hasn’t seemed to slow down many terrorists.
Or, if Ahmed is simply an honest family man that annoyed the wrong neighbor, then we’ve put the power of the United States government at the disposal of every neighborhood bully, while wasting resources that could have been used to actually combat terrorism.
Oh, and one tiny problem with my “strawman”. It comes way too close to some actual situations. Innocent people have been picked up based on anonymous tips. They’ve been tortured and held without outside contact. Some have died. Some have eventually been released, with no explaination.
LMAO!!!!
76 At what?
AT PUDDY. NEVER AT JOHN.
Cluelessman: You were never an original. You visit Kos and Media Matters every morning.
So you hijack my BULLSHITTIUM?
Typical.
John Barelli: What I mentioned was the same thing from last night. Oh… you missed the debate? Went to Drinking Libtardly?
80@ArtFart: YOu didn’t view the links above did you.
Figures. Facts hurt the ‘Tard mind.