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[personal profile] solarbird
I do crappy linkblogging, but here it is anyway.

The FBI is working on a new protocol for domestic investigations that throws out crap like "probable cause" and adds profiling, including racial profiling. Yeah, that's what we need. I can't wait for the Democratic party to endorse it as they "move to the centre" for the elections by opposing everything they pretend to stand for and supporting everything they tend to oppose.

Oh look, Christopher Hitchens changes his mind about torture real fast after getting tortured for 17 seconds. At least he's finally admitting waterboarding is torture. Here's video, if you must. He's still having nightmares after the experience. The clown gets it now, at least. And no, I'm not fucking feeling generous towards him, even if he's finally gotten it into his thick head by firsthand experience, and I'm not going to commend him for doing it firsthand, any more than I'd commend an adult for testing out electrocution by sticking a knife in a live electrical main, because any jackass willing to look at reality wouldn't have fucking needed to get waterboarded to realise that torture isn't about truth, it's about torture. It's about fucking people up and about getting them to say whatever the hell you want them to say. Hitch gets that now. Good. Fuckhead took long enough.

The meme against those of us protesting Senator Obama reversal on and the Democratic Party's support for retroactive immunity for telecom lawbreaking, warrantless spying on Americans, and the destruction of the 4th Amendment is that we're upset "that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) is trying to win the 2008 presidential election." Fuck that. I'd take it apart but Greenwald has done it for you, go read him.

Date: 2008-07-03 01:19 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
A jack move, a Road-to-Damascus moment, and the purge continues.

"I think you ought to know I'm feeling very depressed."

Well, the first is the Imperial players taking their turn on the board. There's work to do. if Hitchy had to do the Coyote thing and get run over by a steamroller to be sure it was a steamroller, better late than never. That the O-man's propagandoids have to make meme-time to keep the purge going is good news. It means people are starting to question the Kool-aid line. Better up the voltage O-man.

- Paul

Date: 2008-07-03 07:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] llachglin.livejournal.com
I'm pissed at Hitchens, too, but his article about being waterboarded and why it's torture is a good one. For me the video was more powerful in that I don't particularly like Hitchens, but couldn't help but see the real pain and emotion that he continues to carry from his experience, and empathize. It's an important point when we're talking about torturing terrorists. Even if you don't like someone who's being tortured, doesn't mean that you'll be any less disgusted by seeing them tortured. I also really felt for the torturers, too, at the same time I'm angry at them for doing what they do no matter their motives. They do so much to remove themselves from emotional involvement in what they're doing, and it debases them just as it debases all of us who now live in a torture state and are collectively complicit for the torture committed in our names.

I just don't think it matters because anyone who doesn't already understand that waterboarding is torture isn't going to be persuaded.

Date: 2008-07-03 09:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] llachglin.livejournal.com
Well, Hitch comes from the left originally and except for the war, his views about Islam, and his hatred of the Clintons I don't think he's part of the GOP tribe.

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