Happy Friday to all! It’s that time of the week again! Do you have an interesting post you want to share with everyone? The official Surrender Monkey of the Democratic Party says to do what the Lefties don’t, since they all have the same talking points: link it!
Yes, the boys and girls of Delta House have returned, so says the Opinion Journal
In the movie “Animal House,” the fraternity brother known as Otter reacts to the Delta House’s closure with the classic line, “I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody’s part.” To which Bluto, played by John Belushi, replies, “We’re just the guys to do it.” The movie ends by noting that Bluto becomes a Senator, so perhaps this explains the meltdown among Democrats on Capitol Hill.
As they careen toward the end of their first year in charge, Congressional leaders seem capable of nothing but futile gestures. Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid failed once again to get enough votes for an energy bill, having refused to remove a $21.8 billion tax increase on energy that President Bush has promised to veto in any case. Mr. Reid was vowing to try again as we went to press.
Meanwhile, in Nancy Pelosi’s House of self-inflicted pain, the Blutarsky strategy played out yesterday in one more hopeless attempt to pass a tax increase to “pay for” Alternative Minimum Tax relief. The Senate has already voted 88-5 against any such tax hike, so this House bill is dead before arrival. But Ms. Pelosi’s troops are just the guys to do it anyway.
And the examples keep going on and on. Futile gestures out the ying yang, with no end in sight. President Bush vetoed the second attempt at SCHIP expansion Wednesday, and Democrats already are ready to try a third time.
They have approved a ban on waterboarding, despite it not having been used but three times not that long after 9/11. It has already been outlawed by the DoD, and pretty much given up on by the CIA, but, Dems feel they need to make a useless gesture to their nutroots base, while gutting methods of gaining intel that might still work.
It has gotten so bad that Democrats are engaging in finger pointing exercises amongst themselves, casting blame for who is at fault for being essentially a do nothing Congress. Let the food fights begin!
But, good news! Nancy Pelosi has essentially given up on 2008. And, interestingly, but usual, she blames President Bush for her and Harry Reid’s failures. Good thing they had a mandate, eh?
Send a trackback to this post, but don’t forget to link it. Otherwise, no toga for you!
Cross posted at Blue Star Chronicles.
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Teach said: Dems feel they need to make a useless gesture to their nutroots base, while gutting methods of gaining intel that might still work.
Following the rule of law and our conscience is not a “useless gesture.” Torture is illegal and immoral. It is counterproductive in a long-term ideological struggle with Muslim extremists. Many Republicans and military leaders support this ban on waterboarding. How sad that you actually see a vote to ban torture as a mark against someone.
Teach LIKES torture.
Teach HATES polar bears and penguins.
Teach HATES all Democrats
Teach LIKES all Republicans
Teach LIKES Dean Wormer and the Omegas
Teach HATES all Delts
I think your reference to the “useless gestures” is important. Like that time they set all those cots up. Such serious issues on the table and they (they being BOTH sides of the aisle) waste taxpayer time and money. It’s gets old.
How about the useless gesture of voting to commend Christianity?
As opposed to voting to commend Islam? Ramadan?
Teach, here are some more “liberals” speaking out against waterboarding. This is from the Armed Forces Journal:
http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/12/3230108
I’m not going to get into it with you on waterboarding, Silke. Suffice to say, there are things that can be done in wartime to protect the nation that are distasteful, but necessary. Anyhow, it is a useless gesture since it is NOT BEING USED anymore. And, it is probably worhtless as an interrogation tactic, due to democrats whining about it. I am still waiting for your better idea to replace waterboarding. Got one?
I think you have finally lost it, John.
You are absolutley correct, Stacy, on those points. And, soon, we will get the investigations in to steriods in baseball. Waste of money and time.
Distasteful is very different than illegal. Are you advocating we break the law, Teach?
That waterboarding is currently not being used is irrelevant since people like you say we should use it if necessary in the future. That’s why we need to ban it.
A better idea (which I have provided several times now) is the Army’s Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations (FM 2-22.3). The Army deals with this precise dilemma every day in Iraq and Afghanistan. They know that detainees they capture on the battlefield could possess time-sensitive information that would save their buddy’s lives. These techniques work and are lawful.
http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm2-22-3.pdf
Yea, that 384 page document. Better put on a pot of coffee.
You are so right, Stacy. When it comes to providing clear and lawful guidance on the interrogation of detainees 384 pages is such a hassle. Besides, it’s for the Army. What could they possibly know about obtaining information that saves lives?
I was kind of hoping for a break down.
Let’s see, Silke. We did things like suspending Habeaus Corpus during the Civil War, we interred citizens of Japanese ancestry during WWII, not to mention dropping two atom bombs on Japan. We used chemical weapons during WWI. And lots of other things of a dubious nature. Why? To safeguard the nation.
I really do not get why you liberals are so wound up about something we did to three stone cold Al Qaeda members, including KSM, over 4 years ago. If we caught Osama or Zawahiri, would you have a fit over waterboarding them?
And, I will ask yet again: what ideas do you liberals have, including you, specifically, Silke, to extract intelligence from people like KSM? Anything?
Teach, I would use the approach techniques outlines in Chapter 8 of FM 2-22.3 (pages 139-162). Specifically, “Emotional Fear-Up” (8-35 on page 148) and “False Flag” (8-69 on page 156) can be very effective approaches.
Which are? Put them in your words.
BTW, waterboarding does put some serious emotional fear in a person.
There is a big difference between playing on someone’s fears in a very vague and general way and making that person physically feel he is drowning.
Though I have experience in intelligence I am not a professional interrogator. This is a skill that takes many years to develop and there are subtleties involved in these approaches I couldn’t even begin to describe. I trust in the techniques the professionals have developed and outlined in the Army Field Manual. I have mentioned a few but if you can’t be bothered to read about them after I provided the page and paragraph then I really can’t help you, Teach.