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Here’s how your humanity sometimes acts as an impediment to your common sense.
About an hour ago, I followed Doug Feith on his way out of the Rayburn Building as he tried to flag a cab down on Independence Avenue to escape the women of Code Pink. "Torturer!" they yelled. "War Criminal!" Feith had a small retinue of Capitol Police officers to protect him from the five or so ladies — one Hill cop instructed a Pinker that she couldn’t unfurl an anti-Feith banner in a Rayburn "vestibule" even though she was clearly outside — and they shrugged off suggestions that they should arrest Feith for crimes against the Constitution. Feith, for his part, bit his lip and tried to ignore the yelling. But the cab took forever to come. "War criminal!" "Torturer!" No response. "Don’t ever come back to Palo Alto!" With equanimity and quiet dignity, Feith stood still and gazed across the street at the Capitol, turning his head westward to glimpse the serenity of the botanic garden 50 yards away.
Jesus, I thought. Isn’t that enough, ladies? The cab came. Feith got in and sped away. Code Pink dispersed. But I kept thinking about it. Good Lord. To be called a war criminal everywhere you go, for ever and –
Then I came to my senses. Yes, the yelling was obnoxious. But Feith shares responsibility for the most disastrous U.S. war in 35 years; for abandoning the fate of a different U.S. war far more central to U.S. national security; and for creating and implementing an architecture of torture. Over 4700 Americans are dead as the result of policies Feith either partially designed or, in any case, fully endorsed. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans are dead as the result of policies Feith either partially designed or, in any case, fully endorsed. al-Qaeda is materially stronger, as an organization and as a broader movement, as the result of policies Feith either partially designed or, in any case, fully endorsed. And the worst he’ll ever have to endure is five women in pink screaming at him the obvious truth about what he is? It doesn’t even out.
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Today, Omar-al-Bashir, tomorrow Doug and his bosses!
Long live justice!
I was driving with the family toward the Monterey peninsula a couple weeks back, and an NPR show came on the radio that Leon Panetta evidently hosts. Leon went through this elaborate introduction of this wonderful public servant who’s selflessly given of himself for many years over several administrations… and such a great guy… and… Andy Card! Leon left out the part about Andy and Gonzalez trying to force Ashcroft from a hospital bed to overturn Comey’s eminently sane ruling on domestic spying. Or any of the various other war crimes he went along with.
I find it infuriating that the press would treat any of these criminals as fit members of polite society. That “Democrats” like Panetta go along with it is just inexcusable. Un-American really.
Good for Code Pink! More of this please.
“Yes, the yelling was obnoxious”? Please tell me this was written tongue in cheek. Yelling at Doug “The Fucking Stupidest Guy on the Face of the Earth” Feith is the least we should do. And we should do it forever and ever. And when he dies, we should do it at his funeral.
The only thing that would be better than yelling at Dougie is if he somehow takes a trip to Europe or some other civilized place where war criminals have some chance of being arrested and sent to the Hague for a fair trial.
Not even close to even.
Violence and aggression work for herd animals.
For humans (who have better memories and longer lives than, say, coyotes or timber wolves) violence and aggression degrade the object of our original desire.
So the thing we wanted because it was precious is cheapened by ham-fisted efforts to seize it.
It’s one of life’s many cruel paradoxes.
Too bad Feith doesn’t get it.
Feith makes me dizzy with his disease. I want to smash him, and be at ease.
Spencer displaying a familiarity with the Throbbing Gristle catalog – nice.