Letters to the Editor
jfriesne
Published Letters: 108 Editor's Choice: 19
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"Torture works" is no defense
[Read the article: The CIA's latest "ghost detainee"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Saying that torture is morally acceptable because "it works" is a weak argument. Leaving aside for the moment the question about whether it actually does provide us with useful information (a very debatable point), let's list some other things that might conceivably "work" to win the fight against terrorism:
- nuking selected cities in any country suspected of supporting terrorism, to set an example
- raping the wives and children of suspected terrorists in front of the suspect, to convince the suspects to talk
- releasing a genetically engineered virus that kills only people of middle eastern decent
- public disembowlment of suspected terrorists, to set an example
- making the practice of Islam illegal
Would any of those help us get more terrorists? Possibly. Given that they might, would be justified in using them? Of course not -- we'd be monsters if we did. Torture is no different. There are some things that are just wrong, period, and torture is one of those things. People who think otherwise need to take a long look in the mirror, because they are becoming the very thing they fear.
-Jeremy
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Mmmm, competence
[Read the article: Hillary Clinton always comes prepared]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm sure lots of people will vent their spleens on Hillary, but I have to say, after 6 years of W, the idea of someone competent, intelligent, and experienced in the White House is sounding awfully good...
-Jeremy
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Scalia
[Read the article: Imperial presidency declared null and void]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The fact that a Supreme Court Justice is on the record endorsing illegal torture scares the hell out of me. I just hope to God that Bush doesn't get a chance to appoint any other supreme court justices before he is forced out of office.
-Jeremy
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A pointless response to a pointless post
[Read the article: "A Mighty Heart"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Why is it so surprising that she finds Mr. Moore irritating? Lots of people do. Similarly, lots of people enjoy Ms. Jolie's acting. So what exactly was the point of your post?
-Jeremy
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That was a bit hyperbolic!
[Read the article: I hate buzzwords! It's not "carbon," it's "carbon dioxide"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]How does using imprecise language get magnified into giving up one's soul and all independent thought to the rule of the mob?
People use sloppy language all the time -- it doesn't (necessarily) mean that they aren't thinking for themselves, it may just mean that they are trying to maximize the efficiency of their communication (i.e. expressing their ideas more succinctly by omitting unnecessary words).
-Jeremy
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$4.6B must be nice to have
[Read the article: Google's $4.6 billion plan for an open wireless Internet]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Geez, with $4.6 billion in my pocket, I could come up with brilliant strategies for a lot of things!
Still, good on Google for fighting to open up the wireless spectrum.
-Jeremy
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Hey there Chernobyl Kid
[Read the article: The dismal legacy of Bush's top yes man]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]And what heroic role did YOU play in standing up to the Bush Administration?
Posted some angry letters to a forum at salon.com?
Bravo, sir! If only we were all as brave and resourceful as you!
-Jeremy
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He's not gay
[Read the article: Craig: The press made me plead guilty]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]... he just likes to have anonymous sex with men. It's not like that makes him a homo or something.
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That's f*cked up
[Read the article: Know your rights: The Kerry Taser incident]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't know what's more disturbing, the video, or the fact that most of the comments on the YouTube comments page are of the "that little faggot deserved it" variety. Way too many Americans seem to *want* to live in an oppressive police state.
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Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?
[Read the article: Ingrates]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"This government does not torture people, and the information we get by torturing people is extremely important in guaranteeing your safety from the boogeymen".
Honestly, does anyone even listen to this guy anymore? His credibility is less than zero.
-Jeremy
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The US already signed a treaty saying it would disarm
[Read the article: Nuclear hypocrisy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]So it's not a matter of that being "on the table or not" -- we already agreed to that. By deliberately violating the treaty we signed, we make it clear to the world that we are not bound by our word. The world responds, logically, by not trusting us when we promise them something. This weakens our position in the world, since it's difficult to reach agreements with other countries when nobody believes anything we say.
Therefore: The USA should either honor its treaty commitments, or formally withdraw from the treaties it doesn't want to live up to. Pretending to be party to a treaty while not actually living up to its terms fools no one, and serves only to make liars out of us.
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Penguin years vs people years
[Read the article: Opus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Are you sure it's not just that Patience lived to be 100+ in people years?
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Denial makes it possible
[Read the article: "Redacted"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In a democracy, war is only possible because we are allowed to pretend that it's honorable, or justified, or "not really so bad".
The truth is, it really is "so bad". And the sooner the average citizen understands this, the sooner we'll stop starting wars. So good for De Palma for telling it like it is.
-Jeremy
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@h0tR0d
[Read the article: Opus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Doesn't the Republican's anti-abortion, anti-contraceptive, anti-sex-ed policies make them the party of single motherhood?
Or perhaps we should be more nuanced: the Republican party makes sure there are plenty of single mothers, and then when the Democratic Party tries to help same (WWJD?), uses them as political ammunition against the Dems.
-Jeremy
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... and it's not news
[Read the article: McClellan implicates Bush, Cheney in Plame lie]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Nobody will even raise an eyebrow at this. The Bush Administration deliberately lying to the public? People would be much more surprised to find out they had been told the truth. Unfortunately, expectations have been beaten down so far that everybody will just roll over and take it, as usual, and hope for something better in 2009.
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Classic
[Read the article: Bush on Iran: I didn't know about halt to weapons program (but it doesn't matter)]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It really is classic Bush, isn't it? "It turns out I was entirely wrong but that isn't going to change my mind one bit".
I can't wait to get someone from the reality-based community back in power.
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A jolly caucus race
[Read the article: Big turnout suggests a big night for Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Forward, backward, inward, outward
Come and join the chase
Nothing could be drier
Than a jolly caucus race
Backward, forward, outward, inward
Bottom to the top
Never a beginning,
There can never be a stop
To skipping, hopping, tripping fancy free and gay
Started it tomorrow
But will finish yesterday
'Round and 'round and 'round we go
Until forevermore
For once we were behind
But now we find we are be-
Foreward, backward, inward, outward
Come and joing hte chase
Nothing could be drier
Than a jolly caucus race!
-- from Alice in Wonderland, of course... sorry folks, I just couldn't resist!