JCC Ender Sigh rags on 'Murica

And this is what happens when they don't get their face-sized cookies:

 

Got a lot of foresight and good timing to keep on filming all this stuff.

 

James Cordon deserved that for making Santa mad.

 

Luckily someone had the foresight not to arm these chaps.

 

That reminds me (by an unusual train of thought) racist idiot Nigel Farage and spindly lizard theorist Russel Brand are both on the Question Time panel tonight. I don't have a TV, so I hope it ends up on BBC iplayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04v85qt

 

Will Russell Brand be forced to get to the point in a concise manner? Do hope so.

 

I've never known the chap to have a point but I'm rather looking forward to it. Like a real life muppet show.

 

You probably stop watching before the 16 minute mark?

 

I'll try to stomach the whole show. Both idiots have a huge following. I may as well know what kind of **** they're being fed.

 

Impossible.

edit: Outisde looking in, Farage is a crank. Watched a video of him last year where he told the head of the EU parliament off on the floor. Pretty disrespectful guy. Seems on a quest to lead the UK into decrepit isolation.

 

He's a loon. An absolute nutjob. Unfortunately, his justified concerns about EU farming subsidies and the process of passing law with no democratic process are lumped in with all the barking mad jingoism, making them look ridiculous by association.

Damn his goggly eyes.

 

http://www.motherjones.com/politics...port-untrained-agents-made-up-torture-methods

Untrained CIA Agents Were Just Making Up Torture Methods As They Went Along


So, our guys aren't even good at their job. MURICA!

 

Yep. Even a cookoo clock is right twice a day.

 

I just heard Brand actually interviewed on Democracy Now. Amy Goodman and Russell Brand in the same room. That is something I never expected to encounter in my life.

 

I love the language used for all these flagrant breaches of the Geneva convention. 'Enhanced interrogation techniques', 'extraordinary rendition' and the like.

I mean, ok, the chaps herded into these prisons or flown around the world to other such facilities will face months or years of torture. Granted, most of them are just unlucky buggers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and had no involvement in terrorism. Some of them, like the chap in this article who died of hypothermia after being chained to a cold floor, will indeed face death while held without charge, trial or evidence beyond 'you were in this general vicinity'.

But guys, c'mon, if everyone around them sounds like they're in an episode of the West Wing with their 'extraordinaries, and 'enhanceds' they've got to feel pretty special, right?

 

They'll probably rebrand soon, in true American style. Maybe change it up to something that truly showcases our country's unique and undisputed superiority in everything, ever.

Let's go with "exceptional interrogation techniques" and "exceptional rendition".

 

The arguments made usually in favor of these techniques is these are non-state actors. The last decade has seen an increase non state actors and thats proven to be a challenge to the old paradigm of treaty by state to state.
But we will only see an increase of this moving forward.

 

That's a specious argument, though. Depending on the treaty we're talking about, the non-state actors don't need to be signatories in order for them to fall under the protections of the treaty.

Using the topical example of torture, the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment applies to the signing party. There is no exception to say that it's okay to torture those who have not signed the treaty. That's simply not the way the treaty works.

 

It's not specious if it's actually happening. It's a real problem states are coping with in how to classify people who fall between. As an example, there were people in Iraq who were not combatant or civilian. They were in between and the law was vague. Ive talked to service people who served in Iraq, one just two days ago, and it is a real issue.

The treaties usually work and are upheld as fundamental parts of international law. But, it also seems apparent, at least in the case of the U.S., a state will revert back to self-preservation and survival mode for some time. That's why we had all these "enhanced interrogations" post 9/11.

So while I agree torture shouldn't happen and shouldn't occur, if a nation perceives an existential threat, it will take actions sometimes running afoul of international regimes. That's what we witnessed post 9/11.

I applaud the president for publicly ordering a stop to these techniques. But, we are also dealing with an agency under accusations of lying to their overseers in the senate.

 

Non-state actors? Makes them sound like travelling troubadours. **** those guys, they deserve to be tortured.



****ing troubadours.

 

That was good.

 

So, a Springfield Mass politician was at a public ceremony lighting a menorah in observance of Hanukkah. He apparently thought it was tied to Christmas. He proclaimed to the majority Jewish audience that "Jesus is the reason for the season".



http://www.masslive.com/news/index....hting_jesus_is_the_reason_for_the_season.html

 

No, getting DA: Inquisition finally is the reason for the season.

 

This belongs in here, too.