tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post3665227354972978836..comments2024-03-02T02:26:00.928-05:00Comments on bleakonomy: Dept. of Muddled Argumentstetracontadigonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04604381739383227553noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-2317272425828088612009-06-10T17:44:51.070-04:002009-06-10T17:44:51.070-04:00Uh, yeah. Yeah, I do mean what I said in #1. The...Uh, yeah. Yeah, I do mean what I said in #1. The people who are going to slit American throats are inclined to do so due to a number of nebulous factors. I don't really believe that Terrorist X would have minded his own business, but for the release of this information.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11213051268392108382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-22262309264989511092009-06-09T22:42:47.226-04:002009-06-09T22:42:47.226-04:00Are you really sure you meant what you wrote in 1)...Are you really sure you meant what you wrote in 1)?<br /><br />And it is true that two wrongs don't make a right (but three lefts do).<br /><br />Finally, the outrageous thing about Speaker Pelosi is not that she is a cowardly hypocrite, but that she persists in smearing the CIA and previous administration using lies so transparent birds are smacking into them.Gadfly Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-3584767142891683722009-06-09T15:12:19.224-04:002009-06-09T15:12:19.224-04:001) Your comment about supporters and potential re...1) Your comment about supporters and potential recruits of AQ presupposes that such people would be otherwise disinclined to slit throats, etc, etc, but would be tipped over the edge by a detailed report of American torture of detainees. I don't buy that.<br /><br />2) Yes, the way they treat captives if often much, much worse than the way we treat ours. (Though the case of Manadel al-Jamadi proves that is not always the case.) That is hardly an argument for our of bad behavior.<br /><br />3) Yeah, yeah. Nancy Pelosi knew, and that makes her complicit. (Barney Frank's recent interview with "GQ" speaks to this, to some degree.) Whatever. But don't think our government gets a pass on waterboarding, one way or the other. If we prosecuted the Japanese for doing it to our troops in WWII, I think we're on thin ice trying to justify it ourselves.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11213051268392108382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393996338560944889.post-61091660847103668142009-06-09T12:42:19.674-04:002009-06-09T12:42:19.674-04:00If we behave outrageously, we must expect that peo...<i>If we behave outrageously, we must expect that people will respond with outrage.</i><br /><br />In the context of "ready-made ammo", 'people' would refer to supporters and potential recruit of AQ. The problem with your analysis is that supporters and potential recruits of AQ don't think it is outrageous to slit throats, behead journalists, rape female captives, or murder gays. Apparently they do get hot under the keffiyeh when waterboarded or forced to be near caterpillars. Honestly, if I were taken prisoner by AQ, I would be thanking the Random Forces of Nature if all I had to undergo were posing nude with caterpillars while being waterboarded (the alternative of beheading is far more damaging to one's health than waterboarding).<br /><br />However, I do agree that we should not suppress evidence of our own wrongdoing, absent extremely compelling arguments to the contrary for extremely important ends. <br /><br />On the other hand, the conclusions that waterboarding is always out of bounds is not one that is universally accepted. Just as the current Speaker of the House. She'll tell you.Gadfly Johnnoreply@blogger.com