Too Much Blue Sky
The views of a professional rabble-rouser on protests, politics, groupthink, and music.



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Thursday, June 17, 2004
 

Ghost Prisoners in Iraq

So let me see if I understand all of this. The U.S. has about 600 people in Guantanamo Bay who are POW's, but not really because we said they're not. In Iraq, there's torture going on, but it's only a few bad apples. Wait, not really, because two years ago the Justice Department decided that some torture was really torture and some torture wasn't. What is it, then? Foreplay? Mocking? WTF?

And now in Iraq, there are reports that the military arrested someone who might possibly maybe be a terrorist, but they didn't report him on prison rolls because they didn't want the Red Cross to monitor his treatment: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/17/politics/17abuse.html

The horrible thing about this is I'm not surprised. If you're used to changing the rules to fit your needs, the next logical step is to not even report who you've arrested. After all, who needs to know? We can take care of business without anyone snooping around. After all, to quote Ben Stein, we're the good guys! They're the bad guys!

I don't think the good guys became the good guys by lying to everyone around them. You tell the truth, do the responsible thing, and provide the example for the rest of the world. Instead, we've been demonstrating how to ignore international laws and conventions. An example for the rest of the world. We have forfeited our right to complain about China, Peru, Iran, or anywhere else that's ignoring human rights. Our government has ceded the moral high ground.
8:15:31 AM    comment []


Floating Fast Like a Hummingbird

On a whim, I decided to start taping Letterman again last night. What to my wondering eyes should appear, but Wilco doing a new song from "A Ghost is Born?" Jeff Tweedy's looking all jovial and showmanlike, not hiding behind his guitar. The song is called "Hummingbird." I'm filled with happiness right now. The record comes out on the 24th. Can't wait. Go listen here.
7:34:55 AM    comment []



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