Related Posts

Torture and Cowardice, Pt.2

JMM hits it out of the park with this piece. Being bold means taking responsibility for being bold. As I’ve argued before, I think the answer to the ticking time bomb rationale for torture is this: that in the extremely unlikely circumstance that government officials ever found themselves in that position of having a ticking time bomb ticking away, they might have to make the decision to break the law. Not fudge it or keep their actions hidden, but take the decision on their own responsibility that it was the best thing to do in the situation — despite it…

The Revealer on Katrina [updated]

Read this piece. You cannot escape the race issue in the Katrina disaster. You have to wonder if that’s what makes it OK to ignore situation – on the part of the federal government, that contributed to this catastrophe by de-funding the levee construction, removing National Guard and flood equipment (for Iraq?!?) and then not mobilizing resources quickly and appropriately. I’m also hearing CNN ask if this is about race or class. It’s not an either/or option. Race and class are linked, although, this administration has done a lot to erase that line by making sure so many more of…

Rashid Khalidi [Updated]

Updates: There’s a move to push Khalidi’s book, The Iron Cage, into the public consciousness. I haven’t read this particular book, but it’s en route. Get yours here. Juan Cole has some more information. Rosenberg at TPM Café (one of my favorite writers over there) [/end update] ———- Prof. Rashid Khalidi is under fire once more. Apparently John McCain gave him some money and some Republicans don’t like the fact that McCain is running a virulently xenophobic campaign, and borderline anti-Semitic one that treats Jews as mindless, sub-human, single-issue voters, while at the same time funding a xeno. Prof. Khalidi…