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"If you haven't found something strange during the
day, it hasn't been much of a day." -- John A. Wheeler
day, it hasn't been much of a day." -- John A. Wheeler
PROVIDING SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTARY ON THE
PEOPLE, POLITICS, EVENTS AND ABSURDITIES OF
OUR TIME. SERVED UP WITH ACERBIC WIT, YOU
SHOULD FIND IT QUITE SATISFYING.
PEOPLE, POLITICS, EVENTS AND ABSURDITIES OF
OUR TIME. SERVED UP WITH ACERBIC WIT, YOU
SHOULD FIND IT QUITE SATISFYING.
The Gitmo Column To End All Gitmo Columns
“If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI
agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in
their control, you would most certainly believe this must have
been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime
-- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings.”
--- Senator Dick Durbin (D) of Illinois.
Please don’t mistake the title of this column as some kind of
egotistical braggadocio with the intent of declaring this the
greatest column ever written on the incessant nonsensical
carping about the so-called horrors of the prison for terrorism
suspects at Guantanamo Bay. It is rather a declaration of my
intent -- or at least my hope -- that this be the last column I
have to write on the subject anytime soon, having already
written several in a row.
Just when you think that the anti-Gitmo, anti-American
rhetoric can’t get any worse, along comes a United States
senator, of all people, to take it to an even higher level of
absurdity and reprehensibility. Most of us thought that the
recent statement by Amnesty Irrational -- er, I mean,
International -- declaring Guantanamo to be “the gulag of our
time” would be the absolute zenith of zaniness on this
particular subject.
Wrong! The Soviet gulag, where millions were brutalized
and killed, was not rhetorically extreme enough to satisfy
Senator Durbin’s insane lust to do damage to the Bush
administration by any means possible. So he upped the ante by
throwing in Nazis, Pol Pot and mad regimes in general.
Here’s an example of treatment that was accorded to one
particular Guantanamo prisoner that, in Senator Durbin’s
mind, is indistinguishable from that doled out by
Nazis/Soviets/Pol Pot/mad regimes: “Not only was the
temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was
being played in the room, and had been since the day before . . .”
Doesn’t exactly conjure up images of Auschwitz, Siberian
gulags, Pol Pot’s killing fields or Saddam’s torture chambers,
does it? In fact, it could have been any non-air-conditioned
living room occupied by hip, urban rap fans living in torrid
locales like Phoenix, Houston or Miami Beach. And they would
no doubt be amused at the characterization of their lifestyle as
torture.
Would it have been unpleasant to your average Jihad Joe
unhip to hip-hop? Sure. But does it fall within any serious
definition of torture? Does it compare to the horrors wrought
upon mankind by Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot or any of the other
myriad mad regimes of recent history? Only a shameless
politico seeking partisan advantage at any cost would
speechify to that effect knowing full well that it’s a despicable
lie and that it will surely be exploited by our enemies as
priceless propaganda.
But wait, hold the presses. In the midst of writing this
column, Durbin has finally come out with an apology after a
week or so of addleheaded stubbornness and swirling
controversy. “Some may believe that my remarks crossed the
line,” he said. “To them I extend my heartfelt apologies.”
Then, speaking of any soldiers who might have been offended
by his remarks, “They’re the best. I never, ever intended any
disrespect for them.”
No, of course not. The disrespect was intended for the Bush
administration. The problem is, when it comes to Nazis, or
those to whom you‘re comparing to Nazis, you can’t really
distinguish between the highest leaders and the underlings
who were “just following orders.” That defense was tried at
Nuremberg and it didn’t wash. It was felt that specifically
targeting millions of defenseless citizens for genocide just
because you were ordered to was not really a good enough
reason.
It would therefore follow that if the Bush administration is
really comparable to the Nazis, then the soldiers carrying out
their evil orders are culpable as well. In other words, Senator
Durbin, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t compare the
Bush administration to Hitler/Stalin/Pol Pot/name-your-mad-
regime, but then insist in your misty-eyed apology that the
soldiers doing the dirty deeds are all just a swell bunch of guys
who have your undying respect.
The senator did his country a profound disservice with his
mendacious asininity, and his apology, which came after a
week of harangues, rang hollow. With senators like Durbin,
who needs Islamo-fascist enemies?
On an ancillary note, the idea that comparisons to Nazis,
Soviets and mad regimes could even be used as propaganda
against America by Arabs is actually ridiculous to begin with.
After all, Hitler was adored by the Arabs, the Middle East was
full of Soviet client states throughout the cold war and the list
of mad regimes that have lorded over the Middle East is longer
than your arm. If America is like all of them, then the Arab
street should be rapturously shouting: “America is just like the
Nazis, Soviets and various mad regimes! Hip hip hooray! Long
live America!”
But that‘s not happening because, while America may have
some things in common with Nazis/Soviets/mad regimes as
Durbin so delightedly pointed out, what good are
Nazis/Soviets/mad regimes if they don’t hate and seek to kill
Jews? Since America supports the right of Jews to actually
exist on this planet, the traits of the Nazis/Soviets/mad
regimes so beloved by Arabs must not be the same as the ones
Dick Durbin was referring to.
Whoops, sorry. I allowed myself to get sucked into the black
hole of tortured logic -- or non-logic -- that permeates
everything that has anything to do with the Middle East.
Anyway, thanks a lot, Senator Durbin, for handing over on a
silver platter a juicy propaganda victory to our enemies. Just
to clue you in, our mission in Iraq and elsewhere is to bring the
Middle East out of the Dark Ages in the hope of ending Islamic
terrorism. Your reckless statements provided aid and comfort
to those that would keep it there till doomsday.
“If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI
agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in
their control, you would most certainly believe this must have
been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime
-- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings.”
--- Senator Dick Durbin (D) of Illinois.
Please don’t mistake the title of this column as some kind of
egotistical braggadocio with the intent of declaring this the
greatest column ever written on the incessant nonsensical
carping about the so-called horrors of the prison for terrorism
suspects at Guantanamo Bay. It is rather a declaration of my
intent -- or at least my hope -- that this be the last column I
have to write on the subject anytime soon, having already
written several in a row.
Just when you think that the anti-Gitmo, anti-American
rhetoric can’t get any worse, along comes a United States
senator, of all people, to take it to an even higher level of
absurdity and reprehensibility. Most of us thought that the
recent statement by Amnesty Irrational -- er, I mean,
International -- declaring Guantanamo to be “the gulag of our
time” would be the absolute zenith of zaniness on this
particular subject.
Wrong! The Soviet gulag, where millions were brutalized
and killed, was not rhetorically extreme enough to satisfy
Senator Durbin’s insane lust to do damage to the Bush
administration by any means possible. So he upped the ante by
throwing in Nazis, Pol Pot and mad regimes in general.
Here’s an example of treatment that was accorded to one
particular Guantanamo prisoner that, in Senator Durbin’s
mind, is indistinguishable from that doled out by
Nazis/Soviets/Pol Pot/mad regimes: “Not only was the
temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was
being played in the room, and had been since the day before . . .”
Doesn’t exactly conjure up images of Auschwitz, Siberian
gulags, Pol Pot’s killing fields or Saddam’s torture chambers,
does it? In fact, it could have been any non-air-conditioned
living room occupied by hip, urban rap fans living in torrid
locales like Phoenix, Houston or Miami Beach. And they would
no doubt be amused at the characterization of their lifestyle as
torture.
Would it have been unpleasant to your average Jihad Joe
unhip to hip-hop? Sure. But does it fall within any serious
definition of torture? Does it compare to the horrors wrought
upon mankind by Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot or any of the other
myriad mad regimes of recent history? Only a shameless
politico seeking partisan advantage at any cost would
speechify to that effect knowing full well that it’s a despicable
lie and that it will surely be exploited by our enemies as
priceless propaganda.
But wait, hold the presses. In the midst of writing this
column, Durbin has finally come out with an apology after a
week or so of addleheaded stubbornness and swirling
controversy. “Some may believe that my remarks crossed the
line,” he said. “To them I extend my heartfelt apologies.”
Then, speaking of any soldiers who might have been offended
by his remarks, “They’re the best. I never, ever intended any
disrespect for them.”
No, of course not. The disrespect was intended for the Bush
administration. The problem is, when it comes to Nazis, or
those to whom you‘re comparing to Nazis, you can’t really
distinguish between the highest leaders and the underlings
who were “just following orders.” That defense was tried at
Nuremberg and it didn’t wash. It was felt that specifically
targeting millions of defenseless citizens for genocide just
because you were ordered to was not really a good enough
reason.
It would therefore follow that if the Bush administration is
really comparable to the Nazis, then the soldiers carrying out
their evil orders are culpable as well. In other words, Senator
Durbin, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t compare the
Bush administration to Hitler/Stalin/Pol Pot/name-your-mad-
regime, but then insist in your misty-eyed apology that the
soldiers doing the dirty deeds are all just a swell bunch of guys
who have your undying respect.
The senator did his country a profound disservice with his
mendacious asininity, and his apology, which came after a
week of harangues, rang hollow. With senators like Durbin,
who needs Islamo-fascist enemies?
On an ancillary note, the idea that comparisons to Nazis,
Soviets and mad regimes could even be used as propaganda
against America by Arabs is actually ridiculous to begin with.
After all, Hitler was adored by the Arabs, the Middle East was
full of Soviet client states throughout the cold war and the list
of mad regimes that have lorded over the Middle East is longer
than your arm. If America is like all of them, then the Arab
street should be rapturously shouting: “America is just like the
Nazis, Soviets and various mad regimes! Hip hip hooray! Long
live America!”
But that‘s not happening because, while America may have
some things in common with Nazis/Soviets/mad regimes as
Durbin so delightedly pointed out, what good are
Nazis/Soviets/mad regimes if they don’t hate and seek to kill
Jews? Since America supports the right of Jews to actually
exist on this planet, the traits of the Nazis/Soviets/mad
regimes so beloved by Arabs must not be the same as the ones
Dick Durbin was referring to.
Whoops, sorry. I allowed myself to get sucked into the black
hole of tortured logic -- or non-logic -- that permeates
everything that has anything to do with the Middle East.
Anyway, thanks a lot, Senator Durbin, for handing over on a
silver platter a juicy propaganda victory to our enemies. Just
to clue you in, our mission in Iraq and elsewhere is to bring the
Middle East out of the Dark Ages in the hope of ending Islamic
terrorism. Your reckless statements provided aid and comfort
to those that would keep it there till doomsday.