Scary part? Not a photoshop.One of the more infuriating things my eldest daughter has a habit of doing is of taking something she knows she needs permission for, without asking for permission. Especially when it's something that I would have gladly given her - nay, wanted to give her - but now couldn't because she took it without asking. And I have to then punish her.
Why does she do it? Same reason we all did it when we were kids. Because the parent or parents in question might have said "no".
Which is exactly how the Bush Administration chose to run the vast majority of their counterterrorism operations. Hell, it's how they chose to run the country.
Here's the thing: there are conservatives out there who will be howling bloody murder about how this is a perfectly valid program, what's the problem, how can you help our enemies, don't you love Amurr'ka, etc. etc.
To my fine friends on the right: Shut up. That isn't what this is about, at all.
If you can find me one liberal who thinks that hunting down the leadership of Al Quaeda and assassinating them one by one (or dozens by dozens) is a bad idea, I will personally punch them in the face. Twice.
We all knew the CIA was going to be doing this; it's their job. We want the CIA to be doing this. We'd be angry if they weren't. But we live in a constitutional democracy. And that means you have to ask permission.
But Congress might have (not would have - not in a million years - but might have) said no. And like the finest five-year-old minds since time immemorial, Bush/Cheney/Feith/Yoo/et. al. decided that meant they shouldn't ask.
As much as they would love it to be, it is most emphatically not the Executive Branch's job to say what is and is not legal. That's for Congress, in all of its wonderful, dysfunctional glory, to argue about. The Executive Branch then does it, to the best of their ability. This is all for a very good reason: because if you don't do it that way, you get stuff like this.
And if you do stuff like that, you get America, circa 2001-2008.
America, circa 2001-2008.
Bit of advice: if you're some mid-to-top level CIA admin, and Dick Cheney tells you to keep something under your hat? You make damn double sure to tell everyone you legally can about it, because if keeping it secret isn't illegal, then it's immoral, and if it isn't immoral, it's unethical, and any way you slice it, your ass will burn for it some day, not his.
Guaranteed.
Why does she do it? Same reason we all did it when we were kids. Because the parent or parents in question might have said "no".
Which is exactly how the Bush Administration chose to run the vast majority of their counterterrorism operations. Hell, it's how they chose to run the country.
Here's the thing: there are conservatives out there who will be howling bloody murder about how this is a perfectly valid program, what's the problem, how can you help our enemies, don't you love Amurr'ka, etc. etc.
To my fine friends on the right: Shut up. That isn't what this is about, at all.
If you can find me one liberal who thinks that hunting down the leadership of Al Quaeda and assassinating them one by one (or dozens by dozens) is a bad idea, I will personally punch them in the face. Twice.
We all knew the CIA was going to be doing this; it's their job. We want the CIA to be doing this. We'd be angry if they weren't. But we live in a constitutional democracy. And that means you have to ask permission.
But Congress might have (not would have - not in a million years - but might have) said no. And like the finest five-year-old minds since time immemorial, Bush/Cheney/Feith/Yoo/et. al. decided that meant they shouldn't ask.
As much as they would love it to be, it is most emphatically not the Executive Branch's job to say what is and is not legal. That's for Congress, in all of its wonderful, dysfunctional glory, to argue about. The Executive Branch then does it, to the best of their ability. This is all for a very good reason: because if you don't do it that way, you get stuff like this.
And if you do stuff like that, you get America, circa 2001-2008.
America, circa 2001-2008.
Bit of advice: if you're some mid-to-top level CIA admin, and Dick Cheney tells you to keep something under your hat? You make damn double sure to tell everyone you legally can about it, because if keeping it secret isn't illegal, then it's immoral, and if it isn't immoral, it's unethical, and any way you slice it, your ass will burn for it some day, not his.
Guaranteed.
-- The Prolix Wag
Why be patronized by anyone else?
Why be patronized by anyone else?
"Honest Mr.Presedent, I was holding it for Cheney!"
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