Adventures in My Mind
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Jun 30, 2005
The bad news is that he and other actually believe it.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 8:45 AM
Jun 26, 2005
The comparison that ends the conversation
Washington's penchant for using Nazi or Nazism as shorthand for all things bad, including their political opponents, has got to end. As mentioned in the article, these are smart people. Dick Durbin, Rick Santorum, Robert Byrd, Phil Gramm: smart men all. (Publisher's Note: Yes, I can credit these men as smart even though several are horse's asses.)
So why the reliance on a rhetorical trick as effective as "I know you are, but what am I?" Media attention, of course. The press, especially Fox News, has had a field day analyzing, interpretting, and generally skewering Dick Durbin's comparison of Guantanemo to Nazis, Stalinists, and Pol Pot. Even a lowly blogger like me can't resist talking about it a week on.
In a cramped and cluttered media landscape, attention is precious currency. So why waste it on such a lousy arguement? Where is the wisdom? Where is the thinking that attempts to bring a nuanced and well-reasoned criticism of the obviously deplorable conditions for many of the prisoners at Guantanemo.
Let's examine.
Here's what he said when reading allegations of prisoner abuse:If I read this to you and did not tell you 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.His premise is clear and precise: The United States and its military have no business treating people in such a manner.
It's an atethetical arguement. Set up a scenario that paints a picture of one thing and then explain that it was really the unexepected antithesis of that painted picture. In this case U.S. military and their agents and not Nazis, Soviets, or Pol Pot.
The use of Nazi, however, destroys its efficacy. It became the only word that was heard. He might as well have said, "Blah, blah, blah, Nazi, blah, blah, Soviet gulag, Pol Pot, blah, blah, blah." Durbin's thoughtful protest of how we are treating our prisoners in the name of freedom was completely drowned out because of the incindiary nature of his chosen words.
The same point could have been made like this:If I read this to you and did not tell you 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 brutal thugs and criminals enthrall to a mad or rogue authoritarian regime that had no concern for human beings.Maybe not as press worthy, but more effective for its lack of attack words.
Leibovich ends his essay with these words from Wikipedia on Godwin's Law, "There is a tradition in many Usenet newsgroups that once such a comparison is made, the thread is over, and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress."
So instead of continuing a debate that the Bush administration is always sweeping under the rug, we are now debating Senator Durbin's motives, both personal and political, and not the subject of his arguement.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 10:39 AM
Jun 23, 2005
CNN.com - High court OKs personal property seizures
This is good news for all you Uber Capitalists out there in blogdom. This is not, however, good news for anyone who thinks that the government should not be in the business of redistributing wealth, especially as it flows from the poor to the wealthy.
Land developers and real estate financiers already have about all the power they need to move their latest waterfront developments through local governements and zoning boards who would sell out their mothers for greater tax revenues.
Once upon a time, private developers used to have to come up with a fair price to own your land. They used to have to go to the council meetings, schmooze the zoning board, talk to their investors. Now, though, they can convince your local government that their project is a community development project and put up Quizno's where your house used to be. All sides, except probably you, can then call it good for the community.
And how does the conservative block, who almost always favor big business, come down against eminent domain and the progressive block find this to be an acceptable practice? How did this little role reversal come about. Have we finally slipped irretreivably over the abyss into Bizzaro World?
Help! Jane! Get me off of this crazy thing!
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 2:38 PM
Jun 15, 2005
Precisely why we have the government and the press that we have.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 8:24 AM
Jun 9, 2005
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 4:57 PM
Is it a gulag?
Not quite, but the similarites are too numerous to ignore.
Poor W. and Unca Dick just can't understand why human rights groups frown on their activities at Gitmo. I don't know if you noticed but the PR war that they waged against the Amnesty report was one of the greatest tricks of Orwellian double speak I've ever witnessed.
They fought the news of the report with words like "appalling", "outrageous", and Unca Dick, himself was "disgusted" by it.
How dare anyone ask questions about what is being done in the name of freedom, right?
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 12:38 PM
