The Dim Sense

Wikpedia: "Fascism is a radical political ideology that combines elements of corporatism, authoritarianism, nationalism, militarism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism."

Sounds familiar?

"Nothing could be less American than a government that can indefinitely hold people in secret torture cells, take away their protections against horrific and cruel abuse, put them on trial based on evidence they cannot see, sentence them to death based on testimony literally beaten out of witnesses, and then slam shut the courthouse door for any habeas petition," said Christopher Anders, an ACLU Legislative Counsel. "But that's exactly what Congress just approved."

Ah yes, well, I call it the Torture Bill, it's being called the Detainee Interrogation Bill by others. Whatever. It truly is a disgusting piece of shit. I do believe this is a threshold issue. Our country has been degraded again, by those who claim to love it. I do think our country is run by very, very corrupt people. They are using the fear of terror to pass really bad, authoritarian legislation. They can't even stand up for some basic human decency. I know some Democrats voted against. I saw Hilary Clinton ("when we torture, we lose" - s.j. - WE HAVE LOST!) and Barack Obama give strong speeches against parts of the bill. There are voices of dissent. I'm disappointed someone didn't go to the mat (filibuster?!) on this one.

Maybe those who voted for the bill would be willing to visit a secret CIA interrogation facility for a weekend and sample some of the techniques first-hand for themselves. We'd call it "participatory democracy."

Anyway, the deed is done...maybe the Supreme Court will review down the line. Maybe a future legislature can fix it. Maybe monkeys will fly out my ass...

Anyway, shifting gears, here's Helen Mirren speaking of playing Shakespeare's Caliban: "I just got into it, of living in this wonderful, exotic world, of a creature locked in this awful physical prison but with a dim sense that there was something else out there."

Yes, well, some of us base our lives on this "dim sense."