Ashcroft is guilty of authorizing torture, and he knows it

I would've posted this in the links side-bar, but I think it's an absolute "Must-Read". A couple of students got the chance to ask Ashcroft some questions, and they did, to put it mildly, a much better job than the media's been doing.

ME: I'm sorry, I was under the impression that we still use the method of putting a cloth over someone's face and pouring water down their throat...

ASHCROFT: (interrupting, red-faced, shouting) Pouring! Pouring! Did you hear what she said? "Putting a cloth over someone's face and pouring water on them." That's not what you said before! Read that again, what you said before!

ME: Sir, other reports of the time say...

ASHCROFT: (shouting) Read what you said before! (cries of "Answer her fucking question!" from the audience) Read it!

ME: (firmly) Mr. Ashcroft, please answer the question.

ASHCROFT: (shouting) Read it back!

ME: "The victim was bound or otherwise secured in a prone position; and water was forced through his mouth and nostrils into his lungs and stomach."

ASHCROFT: (shouting) You hear that? You hear it? "Forced!" If you can't tell the difference between forcing and pouring...does this college have an anatomy class? If you can't tell the difference between forcing and pouring...

ME: (firmly and loudly) Mr. Ashcroft, do you believe that Yukio Asano's sentence was unjust? Answer the question. (pause)

ASHCROFT: (more restrained) It's not a fair question; there's no comparison. Next question! (loud chorus of boos from the audience)

He's guilty and he knows it. Maybe some of these other cretins (Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, etcetera; and probably Bush) don't, but Ashcroft realizes it; reportedly he said "History will not judge us kindly." But of course that doesn't matter, he's as guilty as the rest of the lot. We need to get a commitment out of Barack Obama to pursue prosecution of these people, or it'll poison international relations and domestic discourse for decades to come. Read the full post; there's much more where the above came from...

By the way, I'll have an article on torture in tomorrow's Independent; I'll post the link when it's put up on the site. 

Sunday Nights on the Lam: Washington Goes MTV Edition

This week's edition of Sunday Nights on the Lam, brought to you by an unexpected extension on a paper (thanks, Social Studies 10!), features... videos. Lots of 'em.

First, "after much rumination and meditation and deliberation and constipation," some commentary on the Democratic primary candidates via the Beatles:

Next, Bollywood does Obama. I'm pretty sure this is approximately the weirdest thing I've ever seen. It's almost vaguely reminiscent of M.I.A. around two minutes.

Finally, a classic: Condilicious!

And in today's football news, the Packers rolled over Oakland, 38 to 7. Despite being on special teams, Will Blackmon was the surprise high-scorer of the day, returning a punt for a touchdown in the second quarter and jumping on a muffed punt return in the third quarter to seal the game. Will Blackmon, you're my hero. Today.

That's all for this week's Sunday Nights on the Lam. Now go to bed, you hooligans.