Month: December 2006

My Sunday Times summary of what we know about an American citizen detained without charge for over three years, tortured, and turned into a mental wreck, arguably unfit to stand trial.

Here’s the Busted Halo interview. And here’s another link to my CSPAN chat with Jim McGreevey.

Washington, DC, 4.30 pm.

"Now I’d like you to use your imagination for a second. Let’s assume the unthinkable: that America had embraced Mr. Bush’s "Program" in the Second World War; that German, Italian and Japanese fighters had been waterboarded, subjected to the cold cell and techniques like "long time standing." Do any of you think for even a second that these nations would have been our allies and friends in the following generations? Think of how much darker, colder and more hate-filled our world would be than it is today…

A short time ago, in Germany, I spoke with one of the senior advisors of Chancellor Angela Merkel. I noted that a criminal complaint had been filed against Donald Rumsfeld and a number of others invoking universal jurisdiction for war crimes offenses. How would the chancellor see this, I asked? There was a long pause, and I fully expected to get a brush-off response. But what came was very surprising.

"You must remember," said the advisor, "that my chancellor was born and raised in a totalitarian state. She cannot be indifferent to questions of this sort. In fact, she views them as matters of the utmost gravity and they will be treated that way. The Nuremberg process happened in my country. It was painful for us. But we absorbed it. It became a part of our legacy. An important part of our legacy. We will not forget it. But I have to ask you: why has your country forgotten?" – Scott Horton, in a speech at the New School, on the significance of December 7 in American history.

A reader writes:

Thank you for your recent bloggings showing the reaction to Ms. Cheney’s pregnancy by some Conservative Christians. While I have conflicting feelings towards gay marraige and adoption, I am a Conservative Christian, I have nothing but anger towards the reaction of some of my so-called "conservative Christian" leaders in how they talk about the mother and the child. It is a hard subject for many as myself trying to see the black and white of scripture against what is occurring in reality, but there is no excuse for degradation of Ms. Cheney nor her child.

I guess that is the difference between Conservative and Fundamentalist. As Christians we should treat all others with the respect as human beings, whether we agree with their lifestyle choices or not (whether divorced, drugs, or gay).  Fundamentalists seem to think that you are not human unless you adhere to all of the Teachings of GOD and Christ. I am sure that the sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes talked to by Jesus are glad that he didn’t have a similar opinion.

Thank you for your blog, it gives a different perspective to everyone who reads it whether they like it or not.

Here’s a reader review of "The Conservative Soul" I got this morning:

The Conservative Soul got me rather disappointed and irritated initially. There was enough psychobabble in the first few chapters to shame a West Hollywood Marriage and Family Counseling trainee. Honestly, if I had read the word "denial" one more time I would have thrown the book at the first Methodist anti-war activist I saw Sunday morning, but, grimly, I read on. I understood you had to "define your opponent" as the political consultants say it, but I hoped for so much more from a man of your intellect, training and experience. I felt the book growing old and time-bound with every turn of the page.

Then, I got to the latter chapters. This is what I wanted to know, and your love letter to America was thrilling. I felt and respected your authority, as I had needed and expected to, in your definition of a conservative. I will never be as erudite as you in this matter, but I have read enough books and taken enough classes and even distinguished myself, however infinitesimally, in scholarship sufficiently to know the real thing when I see it.

Here you truly excelled, soared even as one of those banned kites in Afghanistan, and I grabbed hold and went along for the ride, avidly and enthusiastically. Thank you for this achievement. I will ponder and use your arguments in my own discussions as I test them against my own experience and others’ opinions. I will recommend your book to my friends and family (with a caveat regarding patience until one finally gets to the meat of the matter). I think it’s deplorable that the current keepers of the temple of conservative orthodoxy can’t see how deeply they are in, er,…denial.  Perhaps someone will throw your book at a few of them.

A friend of mine somewhat surprised me after reading the book when I asked him what he thought of it. He said simply: "It made me feel more patriotic." The book is really a love-letter to my adopted country, what it has taught me, and why I am so passionate about not damaging the core conservative genius of America.

You can buy it here and here; and details for getting a personally signed copy for yourself or as a Christmas gift can be found here.

His strong defense of gay rights in the past has now made it to the NYT. Hey – a week behind the blogosphere isn’t bad for the Gray Lady.

There are signs of life in Iraq’s oil sector and a big windfall for the government which now has a chance to distribute some of the wealth directly to Iraqi citizens. Money quote from Mohammed at Iraq the Model:

Yesterday al-Sabah brought the news that the parliament is discussing a suggestion to set aside 30 percent of oil sales income to distribute among the citizens of Iraq. The draft law sets 3 classes of payments according to age and subsequent needs and responsibilities; from one month to 6 years, from 6 to 18 years and the third one 19 years and older. People who migrated from Iraq, those with salaries higher that 1 million dinars/month and convicted criminals will be excluded from the payment program, the report added.

The people here met the news with some delight, hope and some skepticism too although the announcement came through the government’s paper.

If this plan comes to materialize I think it can reflect positively on the security situation to some extent. The economy is part of the problem and also part of the solution and the government should move forward with reforms that involve economy and infrastructure as well as, of course and above all, security.

I feel for the first time in a very long while actually encouraged by some news from Iraq.

In history, it is always best to be ready to be surprised. In the Middle East, once in a blue moon, the surprises can even be pleasant ones. The news that the Iraqi sectarian factions may be close to a national oil deal is encouraging. It’s the first tangible sign or real seriousness in what remains of the Iraqi elite. I have no idea what has hastened the pace of change, but if it is related to the threat of the U.S. to withdraw troops, then it proves that we still have some leverage over the Iraqis, and almost all of it is negative.

The other glimmer is the sign of adults pushing back against Ahmadinejad in Iran. This ABC News story is fascinating and suggests that the petite maniac may be about to see his prestige wane. It also suggests to me that the nuclear card is his way of appealing for popular support, and we should do what we can not to allow him to pose as the savior of his nation’s pride. Unlike Iraq, Persia is a real country, and will one day be a rightful regional power. Most Persians, especially the next generation, are pro-Western and pro-American. We must not forget that or them. Time may be on our side – hence Ahmadinejad’s desperate attempt to jump-start his nuclear program.

Does this mean the costs and benefits shift in our decision about what to do in Iraq? I’d say both developments make the option of recommitting to Iraq with serious manpower more palatable than it was only a week ago. These are fine judgment calls. I’m torn between Double-Down or Full Metal McCain, and leaning toward the former, if only because of the apparent lack of seriousness in the Baghdad elite and the lack of sheer ability in the White House. But the president may benefit from further deliberation, and the Baker-Hamilton report and the polls in the U.S. paradoxically strengthen his negotiating position with Maliki. He can now credibly say, "Look, we’re out of here, unless …" He has a little more time. Just not much. But if there is a glimmer of hope to save the place, we should not be blind to it.

(Photo: Jim Young/Reuters.)

"Dancing With Tears In My Eyes": ’80s rock to fear of a nuclear accident. Ah, how reassuring the threat of a nuclear accident now seems.

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