... if it could be shown to be an effective tool for teaching politicians how to do basic accounting?
Imagine, Congresscritters who could actually run a House Bank for simple checking accounts!
Or who wouldn't misplace 100 million dollars worth of unspent appropriated funds (which actually happened a few years back ... I remember them drooling on how to spend it once it was found. Truly, every day is Lotto Winning Day if you're a Congresscritter. ).
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Standup Philosopher
Some people's mid-life crisis last their whole lives.
Sometimes you have to stop and reason things out. This in my NSHO on the difference between torture and waterboarding. Or, torture and any of the approved methods that have been revealed in the past week.
Torture is something that will permanently harm or damage an individual for the rest of his life, irregardless if that is physical, emotional or mental. I define it that simply. It's the best definition I've been able to find.
Waterboarding, which seems to be the harshest of the approved interrogation procedures can be used to encompass all the other procedures. So, let's make a life comparison.
You step off a curb and find a truck barreling down at you. You actually have to leap out of the way and land flat on your stomach. If the truck had hit you it could be the accidental equivalent of torture. But, seeing as it didn't hit you, what you have learned is to look before you step off the curb. There is no permanent physical, mental or emotional damage. However, if you are in that spot again you will realize the possible trauma of stepping off the curb without looking.
The correlation of stepping off the curb to waterboarding (et. al.) come in that someone who is waterboarded does not acquire permanent damage. What he does acquire is the overwhelming desire to avoid being waterboarded again. Hence, he may begin to turn over his secrets freely. If he avoids the waterboarding it is the same a remembering to look before you step off a curb.
Hence, this puts waterboarding and all of the 'lesser' tortures out of the realm of torture.
The politicians are only a reflection of the electorate.
Well then the electorate is pretty damn stupid about waterboarding.
All these naive people acting all uppity about something that was taught to everyone taking SERE training before Vietnam FORTY YEARS AGO!
You'd think this was a new hydrogen bomb the way the politicians and media are carrying on.
War is nothing like a boxing match, you fools!
Get over it, these people were just trying to KILL our people, and we should be nice???!!!
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Krauthammer's corollary to Occam's Razor:
In explaining any puzzling Washington phenomenom, always choose stupidity over conspiracy, incompetence over cunning.
Would you support Waterboarding ...
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