Stooping to their level

A number of people appear to be of the opinion that we should not stoop to the level of our opponents and should instead take the high road. I happen to agree. We should refrain from random killing. We should refrain from imprisoning people and subjecting them to sexual humiliation and waterboarding. We should refrain from gathering databases of our opponents purchasing habits and trying to correlate them with their wiretapped phone conversations. As long as we refrain from these activities, we are indeed taking the high road.

Refraining from calling the people who engage in these activities rude names however is not taking the high road. It's rolling over and playing dead

I think this story illustrates a larger point

From CNN/International

It is doubtful that foreign security contractors could be prosecuted under Iraqi law. A directive issued by U.S. occupation authorities in 2004 granted contractors, U.S. troops and many other foreign officials immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.

Security contractors are also not subject to U.S. military law under which U.S. troops face prosecution for killing or abusing Iraqis.

I bring it up because I think it speaks to a larger issue, including the warrantless spying issue.

Put simply, when there are no constraints on behavior then humans do bad things almost as a matter of course. The contractors in Iraq are working without any enforcment of rules of engagement. It was inevitable that an event like the one documented in this story would eventually take place.

But the same thing is true in regards to the NSA and the data-mining eavesdropping programs. They may have been set up with the best of intentions, but without oversight or coherent rules, abuse is inevitable.

Re:Petraeus - Betray us

Generals are people too. To pretend that they are above criticism or ridicule is to take yet another baby step towards fascism. The whole theory that our nation was founded upon was that "all men are created equal", that there is no priveleged class and that one of the most potent tools protected by the first amendment is satire. The people who wish to take this away clearly fail to understand the nature of Freedom and I personally find that heartbreaking.

Just a thought

What compartment of the brain do the people who absolutely despise illegal immigrants store their understanding of what it is to be an American in Iraq?

Just curious.

Its time for my favorite quote re: Treason.

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

I only bring it up because, the same people who are most likely to make references to treason while referring to their fellow citizens are uncoincidentally the same people who have the least respect for the US Constitution and the Freedoms it guarantees.

Marketing Marketing Marketing.

All the time we were being told to wait for General Petraeus's report to Congress, it never occurred to me that we were waiting for the anniversary week of Sept. 11th.

It seems to me, that one of the reasons the Dems are cowering in the corner is they actually appreciate the power of brainwashing - uh I mean marketing. This year is the first where September 11th falls on the same weekday as the original tragedy. Is it a coincidence that this is the week they've chosen to roll out the "7 out of 10 Generals prefer the Surge over the next leading strategy" campaign?

"The surge is working"

The surge is working alright. It has very conveniently changed the subject about what the future in Iraq holds and bought at least one more FU for our soldiers.

Recall that during the election campaign we were endlessly presented with the choice between "staying the course" and "cutting and running". Within minutes of "cutting and running"'s victory in the election, "stay the course" immediately disappeared down the memory hole and "the Surge" was born.

I just can't believe that our entire foreign policy apparatus is being run by a marketing department but there you have it.