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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
You're right it was unfair. I apologize.
I spent two years in a place where similar people got away with murder and worse. My perceptions will always be colored by that. I dance a jig when they get theirs. I'll never be able to hide it.
If you think that's shocking, you should see what I wrote when Ariel Sharon went into a coma.
In any case, I'm really starting to think I don't see eye to eye with any but a few people here. I suppose many people here will wonder why it took me so long.
@bethincary
Hopefully, the American people can have the chance to make a bigger influence of good, if they are settled here in the US-to let foreigners know that all Americans are not as shallow, inhumane, and sadistic as GW and Cheney.
It is a sad thing, in the ultimate, that the American people HAVE HAD THAT CHANCE. They've had seven years at least. Or a couple of hundred. Israel practices collective punishment on the Gazans for some time now. Doesn't even rate a blip on Salon, let alone the MSM. And we all know Israel's behaviour is chronically condoned by the American people, without apology, fully witnessed by the rest of the world. Pile on Iraq, Latin America, Central America, Viet Nam, Cambodia, numerous African nations, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Pakistan . . .and these are the ones we now know about. These examples are what constitutes a "stain", with Guantanamo the cherry on top.
Foreigners' opinions of "the American people" was long ago established, long solidified, and may very well be unchangeable. With all due respect, it is somewhat presumptuous/naive and a perfect example of the hubris and hypocrisy of America, to think that Americans have ever had any influence of good, let alone "a bigger", especially in the minds of each and every individual harmed by the actions of the American government that acts on its people's behalf.
Rush Limbaugh is often quoted on the topic of Gitmo. He is the ID of the Right Wing. His arguments are put in the heads of millions which are then used to "win" conversations with liberals. He provides the anchor viewpoint that is adopted by millions.
I want to hear what he has to say and then I want to hear someone challenge him to discussion on the issue OFF OF HIS RADIO SHOW. I nominate Glenn.
I'm tired of the right wing radio hosts spreading misinformation about who is in Gitmo and what happened and happens there.
Th
While I agree there may be one person who legitimately had bad intentions RE: Harming The U.S. before being detained at Gitmo. we have a rule here that applies, hopefully, to us all, and ought to apply to them, that we are "innocent until proven guilty", and one of the results to ensure we do not imprison one not guilty person is that occasionally a guilty person gets let go. But "doing the right thing" has a price we all ought to be willing to pay. (imagine it were YOUR SON in there for no reason?).
but more importantly, for the men who harbored no resentment towards us before their lock -up, I would fully comprehend if the first thing they do upon their release IS to go and join Al-Queda within hours of their release. I cannot imagine being locked, isolated for 22-24 hrs. a day, in a cell with the lights on, not to mention the occasional blaring of Hot ChiliPeppers music non stop for hours or waterboarding.
I HAVE drowned once as an adolescent, and I can tell you when that water gets in your airways, there is almost no greater terror, and I saw the light above. I cannot imagine knowing that two guys were intentionally doing this to me and were going to continue to do it to me for some time.
Torture or the rule of certain laws are similar. They are fine to impose on others, "Heck, we need those answers 'to save' people!" but, "don't do it to me! I don't deserve it!"
I've been called worse.
Interestingly, I was recruited for the diplomatic corps while in graduate school, but I knew it wasn't the place for me. I tell it like it is, try not to take things personally or make things personal, and don't like playing games (except when fishnets are involved).
I spent two years in a place where similar people got away with murder and worse. My perceptions will always be colored by that. I dance a jig when they get theirs. I'll never be able to hide it. If you think that's shocking, you should see what I wrote when Ariel Sharon went into a coma.
No, I don't think that's shocking. You can tell, of course, that I've never been in a similar situation. I have no such experience. I cannot comment on that (how dare I? Why would I? I would not.).
It is a miserable world. I will do what I can to make it less so.
I admire your attitude. Thanks.
I've been called worse. Interestingly, I was recruited for the diplomatic corps while in graduate school, but I knew it wasn't the place for me. I tell it like it is, try not to take things personally or make things personal, and don't like playing games (except when fishnets are involved).
I don't believe it ("I've been called worse"). This I believe: I tell it like it is .... and don't like playing games (except when fishnets are involved).
You know, you're a woman after my own heart (and I say that as a guy who's hearty).
This bullshit of seizing people and holding them for years without charges is an indelible stain on America's honor. Not only that, the world knows it, too.
We'd better clean up our act. . . .
Does anyone know the back story on why Digby banned a few rather odious and noxious far-left commenters from her blog on or right after election day? I'm not going to mention their id's, but anyone who's spent any amount of time in the comments section of her blog probably knows who I mean. These were folks who probably viewed Nader as a bit too right-wing, although they claimed to support him and McKinney.
And while apparently dead serious about their beliefs, were nevertheless effectively troll-like in their presence in the way that they caustically and condescendingly tore down anyone whom they disagreed with, with a special fondness for liberals and progressives, whom they viewed as self-deluded phonies who hadn't been sufficiently enlightened as to the one true path. They had an air of impatient superiority that really wore on you and made you not want to post there.
In fact, that's precisely what I was not doing during the week leading up to the election, since they made it so unpleasant to post there, which is why I missed out on whatever finally happened to make Digby decide to just yank 'em for good (and they won't be hard to spot as zombies, since they had a very distinct writing style and philosophical point of view).
Anyway, just wondering why they were yanked at last. And why they picked her blog to hang out at in the first place. I didn't so much mind what they had to say, and sometimes even found myself agreeing with them, as I minded the disrespectful and unpleasant way in which they said it. They made everything an ad hom attack, clearly intentionally.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
