http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/12/24/torture/index.html
Here are Tufts University Political Science Professor Dan Drezner and Stanford Philosophy Professor Joshua Cohen demonstrating how good-hearted, profoundly reasonable, oh-so-intellectually sophisticated Americans diligently struggle with -- torture themselves over -- what they have convinced themselves is the vexing question of whether our leaders should be considered "war criminals" by virtue of . . . . having committed unambiguous war crimes:
Here's a 2004 critique of similar apologies for torture by "human rights expert" Michael Ignatieff:
http://www.columbia.edu/~lnp3/mydocs/fascism_and_war/Treason.htm
The moral and intellectual decay of American and Western European intellectuals over the past couple of decades will deserve scrutiny by scholars of future generations. Just as we try to understand what made Martin Heidegger an obedient stooge of the Hitler regime, others will try to figure out what makes a Harvard "liberal" pimp for torture.
4 comments:
http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/12431
I favor prosecution, so what are you talking about?
I, too, favor immediate and vigorous prosecution of Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld, at least, for war crimes in Iraq. I also favor the idea that intellectual whores like Dresner and Cohen should suffer -- professionally, at least -- for the positions they advocate.
There is something to be said, in these matters, for the concept of retributive justice. Those who advocate that the rights and liberties of others should be disregarded in the name of national security should have their own rights and liberties disregarded -- again in the name of national security -- when prosecutors go after those who knowingly broke the law in the name of national security.
In short, don't mess around with trials for American war criminals. Just take 'em to Guantanamo and throw 'em in a hole under that hundred-degree sun. Drag 'em out every few days and beat 'em senseless. Waterboard 'em when they pass out. Continue for five or seven years or so, then send 'em to Australia. That'd be what I call Justice.
I'll explain later, Josh, as I am busy now. Sorry - I hadn't realized you (or anyone, really) had read this. I think I explained in a comment at your blog, though.
Actually, that was Daniel's blog.
Basically, Josh, I thought what you said was far too weak and apologetic. Bush/Cheny/Godsmith/ and certainly Addington don't feel guilty about what happened. They relished it.
I'll think about it more later. Maybe I was unfair in singling you and Dan out, but your mealy-mouthed debate epitomized for me a sad state of affairs.
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