As a lifelong Democrat AND an Air Force brat, I have never felt that military principles and progressive ideals were fundamentally at conflict. The common ground is a sense of obligation to serve our nation and its people. Where it goes wrong, however, is when our nation neglects to serve humanity.

This war is a black mark in our history, not only in its inception but most especially in its execution. It's not unfathomable to expect that our people will screw up occasionally and elect governments that start stupid wars, as the Bush Administration has. However, choices made by certain leadership elements in the military have been historic in their atrocity, violating longstanding principles of our military tradition. And Miller is the worst of this bad lot.

In my opinion, Miller is a traitor to our nation and its military tradition, to say nothing of humanity at large. I dream (probably in vain) that some years from now he will be indicted by the Hague (along with Rumsfeld and the rest) and brought to justice--not only for what he has done to innocent Arabs, but what he has done to our country.

This is America's crime against others, not first and foremost a few soldiers' crimes against America. America ordered these crimes and has looked away for nearly two years--shame on America. To rank America's national pride above the welfare of individuals is a crime in turn against everything America says it stands for--which used to be called the national pride. It discourages the national self-examination that alone would end American abuses. Worse, projecting one's own insecurities as wounded American pride is precisely what motivates the torturers.

Let's remember the torture victims themselves. Torture done by Americans, encouraged by Americans, enabled by Americans, and denied by Americans, at home and abroad, has done irreparable damage to lives and people, families, and occupied nations.

I don't really care what happens to these asshole military mutts. All I care is, does their trial and conviction set in motion a national discussion that ends torture, or does it just help us, and our cheap national pride, feel better?

This article about Abu Ghraib = journalism.

Cowardly posting pictures of abuse (therefore propagating the abuse = money-making tactic.

In no way did I mean to put his offenses against others over what he has done to our nation. That is precisely why I want him to go to the Hague, not just dealt with by Congress or a future administration. There is no adequate justice in America for this douchebag.

An appropriate sense of pride restrains a military's aggression--it is the pride that stopped the first Gulf War after the highway of death, that inhibits soldiers from slaughtering prisoners. Miller has systematically undermined this restraint, which has contributed to atrocity. A sense of pride with restraint is not just good for Americans--but good for our opponents, and humanity at large.

The prison reform efforts are being blocked again. Because the Democrats don't really support them and former Gray Davis aides are pressuring Arnold to abandon them completely.

Susan Kennedy has refused to meet with the new prison reform chief, but members of the prison guards union have been spotted inside her office. So the prison guards' union is getting to Arnold thanks to that Kennedy woman who learned her evil from the evil Gray Davis.

This is so sick and ridiculous. I don't believe anyone really cares about the prisoners in Abu Ghraib. This is all a knee jerk display of political tribalism.

If the left really cared about prisoners, prison reform would not be in such dire shape in Calfornia. Susan Kennedy would not be pissing on reformists and meeting with the guards' union.

Any outrage expressed by California Democrats about Abu Ghraib is morally empty and meaningless.

Just go ahead and spout your meaningless BS. I'm not buying one bit of it.

It's all pretend!!! You're all playing make believe when you claim outrage about Abu Ghraib.

America has a long history of human rights atrocities, in every single war it has ever fought. There is no "restraint," not even in (official) peacetime. There is instead, today, a stated policy of no-restraint and a practice of prosecuting only the lowest ranked soldiers for atrocities. This war itself is an atrocity. That is what should go before the Hague.

This is such a disgusting display of hypocrisy, really I think you should be ashamed of yourselves for caring about Iraqi prisoners and leaving Calfornia prisoners at the mercy of the prison guards' union.

If California prison guards had run Abu Ghraib, not one word of this scandal ever would have leaked out, there would be no pictures, and not even one guard would be threatened with accountability, because holding them accountable would be illegal.

And Susan Kennedy would probably fly to Iraq to back them up, with the blessings of her idol, Gray Davis.

Gen. Janis L. Karpinski (whose command of what I understand to be several facilities was usurped by the military intelligence community-- "Don't worry your pretty little head about it, honey,") was publicly humiliated and vilified by right-wing talk radio, while Col. Thomas M. Pappas, who had been the commanding officer at the prison, got IMMUNITY?

Sorry, Patricia, I don’t think this article constitutes nearly the level of hypocrisy as you claim. While I’m reasonably certain that abuse occurs in California’s State Prison System by union prison guards (and needs to be addressed), I doubt seriously it occurs at the levels documented at Abu Ghraib. In addition, the men in women in the State’s prison were incarcerated after a legal process involving a trial with a judge, jury, and legal representation. In short, they received due process, something which has been denied to detainees in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Your letter is nothing more than a thinly-disguised screed against labor unions.

Miller is a liar who is hoping to achieve 2 things: 1) a successful full-pension retirement for himself and 2) a successful full-pension retirememt for the C-in-C who ordered him to behave in ways unbecoming to a military officer.