What Cheney Did To Conservatism

The Atlantic ^ | 4/22/09 | Andrew Sullivan

[steve-b]

The assertion of total power through unchecked violence - outside the Constitution, beyond the reach of the law (apart from legal memos from hired hacks instructed to retroactively redefine torture into 'legality') - will be seen in retrospect as the key defining theory of Bush conservatism. It ended with torture. Why? Because reality may differ from ideology; and when it does, it is vital to create reality to support ideology. And so torture creates reality by coercing "facts" from broken bodies and minds.

This is how torture is always a fantastic temptation for those in power, even if they first use it out of what they think is necessity or good intentions: it provides a way for them to coerce reality into the shape they desire. This is also why it is so uniquely dangerous. Because it creates a closed circle of untruth, which is then used to justify more torture, which generates more "truth." This is the Imaginationland some of us have been so concerned about.

The Western anathema on torture began as a way to ensure the survival of truth.....

[wny]

what an idiot.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Andrew must really be mad at Miss California.

[ClearCase_guy]

Exactly how many millions of people did we torture?? I think the Left is really blowing this out of proportion.

[stripes1776]

Andrew must really be mad at Miss California.

He is. She has a bigger tiara than he does.

[Pistolshot]

[astyanax]

Give it up, steve-o.
It's not unconstitutional because Andrew Sullivan says it is.
And if you think water boarding is torture, you've led a very sheltered life.
Or you're just incredibly naive.

[bperiwinkle7]

WHERE IS THE MEGA HURL ALERT!!!!!!

OR TOXIC VIEWING WARNING....?????

[ReneeLynn]

Where’s the ‘mega barf’ alert?

[marron]

I always wished Cheney had been president and GW vice president.

Now I’m hoping for a Cheney-Rice ticket in 2012.

[ReneeLynn]

Beat me to it!

[Paladin2]

Andrew, quit torturing us.

[pissant]

Andrew Sullivan is about as stupid as they come. The aids coctails have scrambled what little brain he had.

[McGruff]

Top Lawmakers Were in the Loop on Interrogations

Post this on DU. They'll be more receptive.

[astyanax]

Heh!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2236047/posts?page=14#14

[madinmadtown]

What do you call contracting multiple deadly diseases and spreading disease by the life style that one lives, Andrew? Is that moral? How has that life style impacted your mental capacity? You know some disease does cause insanity, correct? How many lives has that devastated? Look in the mirror and talk about morality. I thought that hypocrisy was the worst of all leftist sins.

[Rummyfan]

The assertion of total power through unchecked violence - outside the Constitution, beyond the reach of the law (apart from legal memos from hired hacks instructed to retroactively redefine torture into 'legality') - will be seen in retrospect as the key defining theory of Bush conservatism.

I think Andrew is just upset that he was never invited to Guantanamo and didn't get to enjoy the hospitality there.

[astyanax]

Exactly how many millions of people did we torture??
3 were water boarded. As for tortured...

[pnh102]

I must be missing something. When did we torture anyone?

If some whiny moron thinks that playing loud rap music, depriving someone of sleep, and sticking people in rooms where they think there are deadly bugs is torture, then said idiot needs to take a trip to your average college campus.

[speedracerx]

“Now I’m hoping for a Cheney-Rice ticket in 2012.”

I’ve always thought highly of Dick Cheney. I have no doubt that he’d make a great president. Sadly, he won’t pursue it. Besides, can you imagine the way he’d be treated by the MSM? It would be worse than if Newt ran!