Hmmm, let's see: Groenhagen flung down the gauntlet, hung fire, then bravely ran away.

Is this corporal material these days? And if we obediently eschew attacking the honor and integrity of members of the United States Armed Forces, may we still attack members' feeble showing of wit, courage, and competence?

Just asking.

The Iran video reminds me of how outraged the US Imperialist Warmonger Cheering Section, Wingnut Infotainwhore and Blogger Divisions, were when Michael Moore included a few vignettes of ordinary life in Baghdad in "Fahrenheit 9/11".

These critics were outraged and offended, as if these scenes were the equivalent of Leni Riefenstahl filming "Life in Auschwitz" depicting happy Jewish families and children at play. The wingnuts couldn't handle the notion that even in a nation ruled by a repressive dictator, the citizens lived normal, convivial lives.

In their usual two-dimensional, high-contrast substitute for thinking, imperialistic warmongers couldn't tolerate the reminder that unleashing "shock and awe" would effect "collateral damage" that turned potential innocent victims of Saddam's regime into actual innocent victims of the US hegemony. They dared not risk being given pause by contemplating the reality that there were serious obstacles to their ill-conceived, problematic, and utterly immoral intention to enthusiastically risk burning down an entire house to trap or destroy a single scorpion.

Cognitive dissonance, transmuting the horror of wanton slaughter into phony indignation and rage at the messenger, kicked in to preserve the simplex of their understanding and plans of action. I expect the same reaction to this video.

PS: I suspect that someone with the intellect of an eight year-old-- and a dull eight year-old, at that-- is simply incapable of perceiving that they are reasoning at an eight year-old level.

I meant to write, "...some citizens could live normal, convivial lives..."

Last week the local news got to lead with Maximum Hysteria Team Coverage when a 14 year old kid was discovered planning a "Columbine-style assault" on a local high school. One of the more sensational aspects of the reports was video of the suspect's bedroom, which appeared to contain an arsenal of automatic weapons.

Further reports described the would-be perp as a classic isolated, bullied, socially rejected adolescent driven back into his head.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/137-10142007-1423366.html

His parents indulged the kid's propensity for collecting weapons to boost his morale-- from the outside, that seems so obviously heinously wrong, but I've known parents truly agonizingly trapped into similar warped enabling.

BTW, on closer inspection all but one of the weapons turned out to be air guns; one gun was real, and that's one too many. Still, there were tons of knives and evidence of homemade bomb-making with black powder and BB shot.

I see a parallel between this wretched teenager and the subjects of Glenn's post. The latter were born into circumstances that allowed them to sublimate their addiction to violence and Manichean righteousness into pseudo-intellectual forms. They didn't need to adopt the Working-Class Goth Megadeath ("Columbine-style") approach; unlike this lonely teen, they were fortunate enough to be born into families with great sociopathic traditions, including access to appropriate sociopathic institutions of higher learning. And sociopathic connections sufficient to guarantee a lucrative career cheerleading warmongers.

The difference between the shooter wannabe and these dynasties of mountebanks is one of degree, not kind. Instead of an insidious attraction to a dream of (briefly) becoming an all-powerful executioner and laying waste with a vengeance, the chickenhawks project their neurotic violent fantasies into a socially acceptable career, and espouse principles and plans that bring death in abundance to everyone but their own privileged class.

I hope against hope that telecoms will not be granted amnesty or immunity as a result of bipartisan action or inaction.

Meanwhile, I join the others in complimenting Glenn's superb, incisive interviewing skill.

Well, I'm just a typical American boy

From a typical American town

I believe in God, and Senator Dodd

And even keepin' those telcoms down...

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Dodd Ball-- the extreme version of dodge ball; two balls required.