Comments on: Levin and the shocking torture memo’s http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2007/11/07/levin-and-the-shocking-torture-memos/ Questions through the veil of ignorance Thu, 17 May 2012 04:17:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Lance http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2007/11/07/levin-and-the-shocking-torture-memos/comment-page-1/#comment-60939 Lance Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:37:13 +0000 http://asecondhandconjecture.com/?p=1794#comment-60939 That is kind of what I am driving at. On the legal side I think he is pretty sharp here. His shock on this kind of thing is off the reservation. I could have taken it and fisked it, but I didn't want to obscure the merits of the legal case, and just talked about the general issue I have. However, no reason others can't take each of these types of statements on one by one. I will disagree with you on the Krugman reference, same issue, but not near as big of one. That is kind of what I am driving at. On the legal side I think he is pretty sharp here. His shock on this kind of thing is off the reservation. I could have taken it and fisked it, but I didn’t want to obscure the merits of the legal case, and just talked about the general issue I have. However, no reason others can’t take each of these types of statements on one by one. I will disagree with you on the Krugman reference, same issue, but not near as big of one.

]]> By: MichaelW http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2007/11/07/levin-and-the-shocking-torture-memos/comment-page-1/#comment-60938 MichaelW Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:31:05 +0000 http://asecondhandconjecture.com/?p=1794#comment-60938 <a href="http://balkin.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-low-can-they-go.html" rel="nofollow">Lederman</a> on why he had not spoken up before now: <blockquote>I responded that I really have nothing to add -- The story speaks for itself, and any commentary ought to be superfluous. Moreover, at this point, what difference does it make? The Democrats will assent to <strong>our new American torture regime</strong> no matter how grotesque and outrageous the story gets, no matter to what degree the Department of Justice's integrity and independence were compromised.</blockquote> It is exactly this kind of hyperbole that makes it terribly difficult to chart a rational course with respect to things like waterboarding. I genuinely enjoy much of Lederman's analysis on legal matters, but much like Paul Krugman, when politics enters the picture all rationality goes out the window. Lederman on why he had not spoken up before now:

I responded that I really have nothing to add — The story speaks for itself, and any commentary ought to be superfluous. Moreover, at this point, what difference does it make? The Democrats will assent to our new American torture regime no matter how grotesque and outrageous the story gets, no matter to what degree the Department of Justice’s integrity and independence were compromised.

It is exactly this kind of hyperbole that makes it terribly difficult to chart a rational course with respect to things like waterboarding. I genuinely enjoy much of Lederman’s analysis on legal matters, but much like Paul Krugman, when politics enters the picture all rationality goes out the window.

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