I know that lots of people have been accusing Balloon Juice of being a terrorist-coddling, USA-hating website. Not me. While I've disagreed with him a lot lately, his analyses have always made me think. This one is no exception. Excerpt:

I want a policy that I can whole-heartedly support, one that doesn't degrade our nation while dehumanizing our detainees and doing irreparable damage to our international standing. A policy that isn't counter-productive, and one that makes us safer while preserving our values. One that places a primacy on intelligence gathering, not sadism and excuse-making. A policy that doesn't throw our military physicians into an ethical breach (h/t Crooks and Liars). A policy that doesn't ask our soldiers and sailors and Marines to do things we would never want done to them were they in captivity.

Look, President Bush, his cabinet, Congress- I don't have all the answers, and some might say I don't have any. I don't know where exactly the line should be drawn and what treatment is stern and what is legally abuse and what is legally torture. I do, however, have a real firm grip on what is disgusting and indefensible- but I do really want to help, and I really want to be supportive. So does Greg. So do a lot of really good people all over the country, on both sides of the ever-widening partisan divide. But you have to help us out. You have to do more than just tell me to shut up and go along. You have to do more than just call half the country traitors and accuse them of wanting to help terrorists at every opportunity.

In short, you have to lead. Why is that so hard to fathom?

Not at all.

Update: Much screedier piece found here. Money quote:

I am sick of the over-the-top hyperbole from political hacks and politicans, whose real priority is not the country, but the health of their political party.

I am sick and tired of it all. The Republicans, the Democrats, they can all go to hell. If I could do it over, I would vote for a Nader/Buchanan ticket to just to piss both parties off.

There's a reason I voted Libertarian in 2000, and why I might do so again.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 11:22 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 383 words, total size 2 kb.