Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Richard Cohen is Conflicted: Not Torturing Makes Us Less Safe, but Also Makes Us Less Like Nazis



Uh, oh, Richard is writing about torture again! He repeats his assertion that "of course it works," but laments that it makes us bad people. But we're less safe without it, therefore we should be more like Nazis. But Nazis are BAD, so maybe not. Oh, it's all so totally confusing!

Calgon™, take Richard Cohen away!

And elsewhere in the Land of the Columnists is a peculiar chimera indeed, Ross Douthat's debut column for the NY Times, an amusing rant about Dick Cheney. To call it provocative is an understatement, as Douthat seems intent on pissing off the Sarah Palin/Fox Nation Republicans, and it will cause much foaming of the mouth. Fun! Much better than Kristol.

6 comments:

Matthew Hubbard said...

You're right. I don't agree with everything Douthat writes, but I am not left with an overwhelming desire to slap him silly and tell him I'll do it again if he rats me out.

Diane Griffin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Diane Griffin said...

Oh, them freepers! Here's one from "recovering Democrat"

Cheney is more presidential in the sweat he excretes from his nether regions than Hussein and McLame have in their highest moments of intellectual and moral capacity.

It is like comparing the Taj Mahal with a homeless person’s cardboard shack.
Umm... You do understand, former Democrat, that the Taj Mahal is a tomb, don't you?

Anonymous said...

I love the Freepers, too. They're so entertaining, although after awhile you realize it's the same people commenting over and over. So I have the impression that in the entire country there are only about 20 of them, slavering over their keyboards in dank basements in Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas and Mississippi. I particularly like the Freeper who identifies as "autumnraine" and who after several tries still can't spell Kris Kristofferson's name right.

Anonymous said...

Mr Cohen's columns are the best argument for the disappearance of the MSM.

And so, frankly, are the rest of the "op-eds" by most of the Washington Pest "senior staff," the only honest, reliable member of which is Walter Pincus, and maybe a few others.

The WP editorials resemble those of Pravda and Izvestiya, except that the Soviet ones were better written.

The Washington Post has become an intellectual scandal in recent years (no wonder they've eliminated their book section), with an atrocious web presence and pundits (and editors) who simply can't believe that they're history -- they are inevitably passe because of their "up on high" tone and incessant flirting with those in power.

Anonymous said...

PSP -

It makes no sense. I had the fancy pants rhetoric class in my highly selective college and this reads like one of the examples of what not to do. Of course, there has been a lot of alcohol since then and maybe my mind isn't as sharp as it once was.

P.S. - I will be in DC tomorrow thru Friday for 8th grade class trip. If someone calls up from reception that "Your cousin Judy is here to see you" it's me and you probably should not encourage my stalking.