Requiem For The Right

There is a very interesting e-mail interview at Newsweek with Sam Tanenhaus regarding the future of conservatism in this country.

The editor of The New York Times Book Review and the paper's "Week in Review" section, Sam Tanenhaus is the biographer of Whittaker Chambers and is at work on the life of William F. Buckley Jr. In a new, short book, The Death of Conservatism, he argues that the right needs to find its footing for the good of the country. In an e-mail exchange with Jon Meacham, Tanenhaus reflected on the book's themes.

A self described independent, he comes to much the same conclusion regarding conservatism that I have, namely that the country is best served by both parties having smart and insightful opposition, and that currently conservatives in this country show little evidence of either.

Hannah Arendt identified the ability to listen—to place oneself inside the mind of others—as the essential requirement of democratic statesmanship. The function of conservatives is not to meet every liberal program or scheme with a denunciation or a destructive counterscheme, but rather to weigh its advantages and defects, supporting the first and challenging the second. A declaration of ideological warfare against liberalism is by its nature profoundly unconservative. It meets perceived radicalism with a counterradicalism of its own.

This is an article I wish everyone would read and consider.

Facebook In English (Pirate)

Ok, this may be old news to others, but I just found out I can have my facebook page presented in Pirate dialect. Below is my home page before translation (click to enlarge)......and after translation:Wonderfully silly! (I have wiped others' names and pictures.) If you want to try this out, scroll to the very bottom, and you will see a blue "English" button just left of the middle. Click on it and you will have a wide variety of language choices, one of which is English (Pirate)

My Sort Of Overwhelming View

is that Cheney is an ass, who knows that he's an ass, and who committed and caused others to commit numerous crimes. He'd just really like everyone to look somewhere else.

Cheney, who strongly opposes the Obama administration's new probe into alleged detainee abuse, was asked in the Fox News interview whether he was "OK" with interrogations that went beyond Justice's specific legal authorization.

"I am," the former vice president replied.

"My sort of overwhelming view is that the enhanced interrogation techniques were absolutely essential in saving thousands of American lives and preventing further attacks," he said. "It was good policy. It was properly carried out. It worked very, very well."

From McClatchy.

You Have to Admire His Confidence

but not his intelligence.

Why is it every time I catch a clip of Beck these days, it sounds like he's about to collapse bawling on the floor? Could this be it?

This Looks Like Fun!

CD Bubbles!

Video Game - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

Cheney's Pride and Panic

Welcome to the brave new world.

Here's what the "CIA pros" did to prisoners (the non-CIA pros improvised the president's directive to torture and abuse prisoners in very similar ways): stress positions, nudity, hooding, sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, long time standing, beatings, hypothermia, and walling. They key thing, according to the CIA, is to enhance "the potential dread a high-value detainee might have of US custody." Notice the shift from the standards of the past. In the past, the US was known for being a country whose soldiers would never mistreat prisoners; now, the US wants the world to know that US custody is something to be dreaded. That's what Cheney did to America. He's proud of it. If you are ever captured by a US soldier, and suspected of terrorism, you know that torture will be coming soon. The values of Washington and Eisenhower and Reagan are inverted. The reputation of the US as a defender of human rights is reversed. The point is that America must be feared for its willingness to abandon all human rights.

I remarked to a friend recently that all of us were sad and scared after 9/11; I know I made a number of not-very-rational comments. I was also certain, within minutes of hearing about the events, that Al Quaida was responsible; Iraq never crossed my mind. The whole piece linked above is worth reading... of particular note are the passages dealing with prisoners being forced to lie in their own excrement.

Which leads to the point I want to tack on here. Within a week or two after 9/11, as the fear and fury receded, and a touch of rationality returned, I supported the invasion of Afghanistan. I still feel it was necessary, I just wish we'd had some sane leadership. Because Bush, and particularly Cheney, never did get over that bone-chilling, stomach-clenching terror. I guess Cheney felt if he was going to spend nearly eight years crapping in his britches, that'd be fine for the prisoners too. He wasn't strong, his policies weren't determined, the results didn't improve American standing and safety. His reaction was that of a panicked four-year-old, running around screaming and hitting, and fouling his underwear.

The outcome was pretty similar too, but on a global scale. The main difference is that a panicky four-year-old gets over it in a few minutes. Cheney never has.

Cat Tattoos

Cat tattoos are an excellent choice of design, they are more common among women as they have a feminine quality to their appearance.

Even if they are more common with girls, who wouldn't want a tattoo of they're favorite furry little cat, especially a fallen kitten, as a sign of remembrance.

Checkout this picture gallery of cool cat tattoo design ideas.