tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313509.post827296982966961570..comments2023-11-05T03:29:20.511-05:00Comments on Mr Furious: If This is "Looking Forward," Then I Don't Like What I SeeMr Furioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03781439243585972721noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313509.post-57809194016879291252009-04-21T13:25:00.000-05:002009-04-21T13:25:00.000-05:00John, that's exactly the question Hilzoy asks in t...John, that's exactly the question Hilzoy asks in the paragraph between the two I excerpted...<br /><br /><I>I also see a world in which everyone takes it for granted that there are two kinds of people, as far as the law is concerned. If most people tried to make the case that prosecuting their criminal acts was just "looking backwards", or a sign that the prosecutor was motivated by a desire for retribution, they'd be laughed out of court. Imagine the likely reaction if your average crack dealer were to urge the judge not to dwell on the past, or if someone who used accounting fraud to flip houses told offered a prosecutor the chance to be "very Mandelalike in the sense [of] saying let the past be the past and let us move into the future", or if I were pulled over for speeding and, when asked if I knew how fast I was going, replied that "Some things in life need to be mysterious ... Sometimes you need to just keep walking." I don't think any of us would get very far.<br /><br />And yet, somehow, when people say these things about members of the Bush administration, no one bats an eye. Of course it would be going too far to <B>actually prosecute</B> them if they <B>broke the law</B>. That's just not done.</I>It's fucking bullshit. While I recognize that Bush and/or Cheney are the <I>least</I> likely of all to be tried or held personally accountible for this—simply because of the political reasoning—in truth, they are the one's most culpable. Even the "legal" team of Yoo, Bybee, etc was operating under the direction of Cheney.Mr Furioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03781439243585972721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313509.post-67606103865737317232009-04-21T09:21:00.000-05:002009-04-21T09:21:00.000-05:00So, if looking forward is the most important thing...So, if looking forward is the most important thing, why prosecute any criminals, ever?John Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01895903722298748059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7313509.post-55524856283790277902009-04-21T08:58:00.000-05:002009-04-21T08:58:00.000-05:00I think those officers should be removed from thei...<I>I think those officers should be removed from their posts and forced to testify against those who devised this illegal system. </I>Ultimately, that's probably the best. Like I said before, I could be court-martialled for disobeying an order that I felt was wrong, and could ultimately be vindicated for that disobedience, especially if I was part of a larger case to get after the bigger fish.<br /><br />I was so hopeful at first when he released the papers. But now? It seems like nobody will pay. This whole "looking forward" thing excuses many, many mistakes that really need to be recognized and handled.Noahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com