Anatomy of Torture

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Many on the U.S. right babble about how terrible a 'utilitarian' approach to stem cell research is - isn't it about the sanctity of life? Now try to find some real opposition from that camp to a 'utilitarian approach' on torture.
A utilitarian, an end justify the means approach to torture is a ok but evil when it's about stem cells?

The escape for that contradiction is spin. The U.S. don't torture - they merely abuse. I'm confident that general had appreciated that with a sigh of relief.
By re-defining the problem they have prevented to have a double standard. Everything in apple pie order: Torture is still evil, but the U.S. aren't, because U.S. authorities only abuse Don't you feel better, too?

There's an old saying that when the facts are against you, argue the law. But the Bushies have gone one better: when the facts are against them, they argue the very existence of facts.

When Bush first opposed and then challenged Clinton he and his Rep party did so in declared opposition to Clinton's 'moral relativism'.
The funny thing is that the very people who claim to be moral absolutists from the heartland turn out to be arguing a variation of postmodernism -- denial of objectivity, and a hostility towards claims advanced on the basis of objectivity. All standards are arbitrary and meaningless.

Like Clinton's "It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' means." Sound like any defense secretaries you know? Or Whitehouse spokesmen?

[ August 07, 2005, 13:18: Message edited by: Ragusa ]