Letters to the Editor
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Yet another reason why Berkely should fire Yoo
Yoo is not qualified to teach law in this country as an academic matter.
If a professor of Chemistry understood synthetic polymers to be biodegradable, or a professor of Physics believed Newton's Laws were "quaint" and no longer applicable, would he be protected by the notion absolute "academic freedoms" or protections of tenure? No.
Yoo's legal arguments have no basis in American or International law. They may have legs in the political arena, but not in academic law. That's the point here. Yoo was nowhere taught these legal reasonings, nor has he introduced any new proofs nor theories for consideration.
I dare Berkely to subject Yoo's basic understandings of Laws to peer review. If they are bunked, then he should be disbarred as a lawyer and disqualified as a Law professor.
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Dershowitz
Dershowitz is despicable also.
-- Aycharaych
I was going to say that, too, but chose not to bother. Elephantdung was trying to use Dershowits as some example of someone we who aren't impressed with the likes of Yoo might trumpet. As so often is the case though, Elephantdung trumpets straw heroes for us. He's so helpful.
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Glenn, et al: Again
Nobody knows what or who the People voted for. There is no way to know with certainty under the present circumstances. We know even less about what the People intended with their votes. It takes a legal scholar like yourself to explain what's in the MCA, and from their statements it's pretty obvious that the Congress has only a vague idea what they voted for. If they don't know, what makes you think the People do?
That doesn't mean the American People don't share culpability for what's going on and what's been going on, for we most certainly do. I'm sitting here doing my taxes on a beautiful Saturday, for example, and I will pay the amount due as I do every year. Even though I didn't vote for the atrocities being conducted in my name, I pay for them, and that is real culpability. Practically every one of us shares it, too.
And General Strikes and Tax Strikes get nowhere. At no point, yet, are the American People willing to take any serious personal risk to significantly limit, let alone overthrow, the tyranny of Bushevism. It's sad, but it is also human nature. And it is a characteristic the Busheviks -- and the government in general -- counts on in order to get away with their outrages and atrocities. Most of the time, most people will do nothing at all in opposition to tyranny, and most of those who will do something won't do anything which puts them at significant risk.
So of course John Yoo laughs in our face, Cheney snorts his 'So?' and Bush admits all. Why not? Nobody will do anything about it.
That's what they are counting on. So far, they haven't been disappointed.
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Comedy Tonight!
Edney, not Orrick
Others may have pointed this out already, but the Dean's name is Edney. He holds the Orrick chair.
-- John Quiggin
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Well, he should be holding the Oreck vacuum cleaner, because he really sucks!
[rim shot]
I'll be here all week! Don't forget to tip the waitstaff!
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And try the veal!
I'll be here all week! Don't forget to tip the waitstaff!
-- Little Brother
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Why attempt to differentiate?
Honestly, When this term is up (assuming a transfer of power is completed on time) we should just put bars on the current White House, and build a new one for the next president.
I'm sorry to litter the board with such a thin premise, but I am extremely angry - at the perpetrators and their witting accomplices (including Yoo) but maybe even more angry at the lazy, smug, sycophantic and corrupt press corps, and far too many of my fellow "citizens" who have the tools available to inform themselves, but refuse, and even when forced to confront stark facts like these, they simply turn away and pretend not to see.
Once there were formidable barriers between us and a Nazi-style national nightmare. Virtually all are gone now, and those most responsible are those who have never held office.
We all need to broaden our efforts, risk personal discomfort and social awkwardness while we continue to hammer this message into the heads of the unconverted (those not reading Glenn's column), until it FINALLY gets through.
Time is really getting short.
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So does Nat Hentoff - dislike the ACLU
The KGB, Alan Dershowitz, Nazis, the Argentinean Junta and most Republicans have something in common. Their hatred of ACLU? What else?
-- oratorio
Unless he's changed his mind again. But he does seem to get the torture issue.
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Che
Waiting until the last minute to do your taxes doesn't necessarily count as tax resistance :)
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Contrary to what Glenn says:
The "responsibility for the torture regime" does indeed "rest with John Yoo".
This responsibily is not divisible among all the players. Each bear the full responsibility. Being a functionary/instrument in war crimes does not diminish responsibility in any way as it has been established most prominently during the Neuremberg trials.
Sure, some higher ups want to scapegoat Lyndie England's and John Yoo's. That should not be allowed. Nor should we allow anyone to "uniquely" hold Yoo responsible. At the same time, we should throw the book at Yoo, if for no other reason, than to discourage ambitious lawyers from enthusiastically letting themselves be "used".
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omooex: Resist!
You got that right!
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Nobody may ever do "anything about it" that suits some people
So of course John Yoo laughs in our face, Cheney snorts his 'So?' and Bush admits all. Why not? Nobody will do anything about it.
But when enough Americans actively and assertively reject torture of any kind as unAmerican and morally repugnant; and scream at the press for not covering it or vote with their feet and not patronize those papers and TV news programs; and refuse to vote for people who have openly endorsed it, that is all the anything thatwe may have to accept as being done about it. As usual, it's not enough for some and takes far too long for the impatient. That's democracy.
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"One of the more reliable ways of preventing terrorist attacks ...
... is to refrain from deserving them." -- Paul Dirks
Yes; Paul you are right as rain yet again. I would think that December 29, 1890 would be the date I would pick as the one when the Democracy of the USA last left foreign people alone. I change my mind on that date sometimes, but dating the empire's start in the year of the Wounded Knee Massacre seems correct to me.
After the Democracy ran out of natives to kill, we needed to look outside our borders to find victims that were in need of killing. Not very strong ones, mind you, but small easy to kill 'others' that had little to no way to fight back.
Hmmmmm. See 1890 to 1900.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_history_events
It has been a long and bloody road this country has followed, and it is amazing how many tiny little countries that had no ability to harm this Democracy had to be crushed. The 1% rule in action?