Wouldn’t you expect the same people who are urging a unilateral and immediate withdrawal to be urging military intervention to end this carnage? I would.

And that strikes me as one of the many unsupportable positions that those on the left (and some on the right) have taken. You cannot demand intervention in Yugoslavia, Darfur, etc. whilst simultaneously opposing it in Iraq. Either we are the world’s policemen or we are not. Isolationism v. adventurism. Human rights, WMD’s, etc. are merely the legal semantics that we use to justify military adventurism. I don’t necessarily disagree that some of these causes are most assuredly “just,” but then I haven’t been an opponent of the war in Iraq nor an advocate of isolationism, either. This reminds me very much of the one-time hugely popular, “I oppose the war, but support the troops,” meme. That one seems to have finally died out as most of those spouting it have now shown their true colors. There are most assuredly advantages and disadvantages to being either isolationist or interventionist. We cannot be both, however. Why can’t many on the left (and a few on the right) understand this?

If he doesn’t watch it, he’ll end up a watered-down Glenn Grennwald with smoother prose.

I hope not. Around here that is pretty stiff criticism. I still count myself a fan, but…well, I already said it. No need for me to pile on.