Re: [Pen-l] torture chic

[Bill Lear <rael@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 16:43:41 (-0400) Max Sawicky writes:
>I was trying to take it out of personal terms.  Of course if somebody
>abused my daughter I would be looking for them with my sand wedge.

You're right.  The loft of a three-iron certainly wouldn't do.

>Outrage connotes some kind of surprise.  ...

Ok, this is the source of the problem: I'm utterly unsurprised by the
behavior of the ruling class, but nonetheless outraged, and
Merriam-Webster supports me on this: "anger and resentment aroused by
injury or insult".

>                                          ...  Can you mobilize people
>for constructive purposes on the basis of this outrage?  That's a
>practical question.  I said I was skeptical.  ...

On outrage alone?  Certainly not.  But why should mobilization not
take advantage of people's anger and resentment over this and find a
better way to run the country?

>                                                            ...  Where
>did the fulmination about Abu Ghraib get us?  To Obama?

I agree that Obama is not much of a step forward.  I think he's a
complete phony and will simply put a pretty face on a variety of
crimes ("The U.S. will not torture" --- no, we'll just farm it out).
But, perhaps the minor shackles Obama has put in place will save a few
score innocent persons from suffering.


Bill
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