There’s very little in the redacted executive summary of the Senate’s report on CIA “enhanced interrogation techniques” that is news to me, or most people who have been following this story for the past decade. I’ve been rather quiet because, frankly, I’m so appalled at the fact that so many Americans consider it worth discussing whether torture is ever effective. For me, that’s like discussing whether killing and eating babies can stave off starvation: if you’ve got to that point, you’ve lost. All you are doing is negotiating the terms of surrender to evil, the devil, whatever you want to call it.
I do want to say two heartfelt thank-yous to the following people:
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John McCain, who has not forgotten his seven years as the prisoner of people who had earlier surrendered to that same devil that much of America did after 9/11, and who insisted on telling people about it even when they don’t want to listen. More…
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Eugene Robinson, for seeing the central issue of this “debate” that never should have been a debate, and for saying what I believe better than I did. More…
I’m not always in agreement with either Senator McCain or Eugene Robinson on political issues. But on this issue, they speak for me.