Unfortunately, this headline isn’t literally true. It’s not like they don’t deserve it. Thousands of lives have been saved through employing a tactic Liberals screechingly denounced as worthless and amoral. Of course, normal disclaimer applies. Liberals have defined torture down to the point where there is no useful distinction to be made between the average Travelodge and Aushwitz. But, just this once and for the sake of their insane argument, let’s specifiy that we’re talking about actual torture. Hey – thousands of innocents spared vs a jihadi in pain, hmmm – I’m sure we can make this a win:win scenario somehow.
Even the Guardian itself is under no illusions about about just how devastating this turn of events is for Liberals. Hence, the sudden urge to downplay the Left’s previous positions.
Even the Guardian itself is under no illusions about about just how devastating this turn of events is for Liberals. Hence, the sudden urge to downplay the Left’s previous positions.
In 2004 the Court of Appeal ruled - feebly - that evidence obtained using
torture would be admissable as long as Britain had not "procured or connived" at
it. The law lords rightly dismissed this in December last year, though they
disagreed about whether the bar should be the simple "risk" or "probability" of
torture.
They might have argued about where to draw the line, but in the end they decided that the government had to prove that evidence had not been obtained by torture – a logical as well as legal absurdity which was nevertheless hailed by Liberals as a great step forward for human civilisation.
Yes, I’m aware that there are many Libertarians who oppose torture as well. These people were perfectly summed up in the Onion headline ‘Libertarian Reluctantly Calls Fire Brigade’. Personally, I think if you see July 7, the Motoons and the bare shoulders of humiliation, but you still truly believe the real threat is from the Black Helicopters, you’re nuts, but at least these folks are consistent. When did the Left start taking out onions for our lost freedoms ? Not here, here, here or here, that’s for sure. It’s only when the government starts clamping down on lunatics who fly airliners into buildings that the Libs start waxing lyrical about freedom.
In its own way, the Liberal position on alleged torture is the perfect metaphor for their whole approach to the war on terror. Liberals insist that they’re utterly opposed to terror, it’s just that they have a super, special, sophisticated plan to beat it that involves doing the exact opposite of what any sane person would recommend. Ditto, they claimed their opposition to torture was based on a coldy rational judgement that it didn’t work. Well, now we know: in a carefully-controlled experiment it was found that the deft use of torture could save thousands of lives. As a result, Liberals are forced to rely on pseudo-New Age garbage. Hmmm..mass slaughter vs polluted credentials. It’s a toughey, but I think we should go with the ‘no mass murder’ option.
It’ll never get any easier than this. The Right thinks we're in a war up to our necks, so we should do whatever it takes to stop the enemy. Liberals think we should be prepared to sacrifice thousands of lives, and sacrifice them not so the rest of the Army can reach Dunkirk, or so that the fleet can escape into open waters, no – they must die so we don’t pollute our credentials, we don’t infringe on our national karma, and our psychic moppet remains unspanked. What more need be said ?
Yes, I’m aware that there are many Libertarians who oppose torture as well. These people were perfectly summed up in the Onion headline ‘Libertarian Reluctantly Calls Fire Brigade’. Personally, I think if you see July 7, the Motoons and the bare shoulders of humiliation, but you still truly believe the real threat is from the Black Helicopters, you’re nuts, but at least these folks are consistent. When did the Left start taking out onions for our lost freedoms ? Not here, here, here or here, that’s for sure. It’s only when the government starts clamping down on lunatics who fly airliners into buildings that the Libs start waxing lyrical about freedom.
In its own way, the Liberal position on alleged torture is the perfect metaphor for their whole approach to the war on terror. Liberals insist that they’re utterly opposed to terror, it’s just that they have a super, special, sophisticated plan to beat it that involves doing the exact opposite of what any sane person would recommend. Ditto, they claimed their opposition to torture was based on a coldy rational judgement that it didn’t work. Well, now we know: in a carefully-controlled experiment it was found that the deft use of torture could save thousands of lives. As a result, Liberals are forced to rely on pseudo-New Age garbage. Hmmm..mass slaughter vs polluted credentials. It’s a toughey, but I think we should go with the ‘no mass murder’ option.
It’ll never get any easier than this. The Right thinks we're in a war up to our necks, so we should do whatever it takes to stop the enemy. Liberals think we should be prepared to sacrifice thousands of lives, and sacrifice them not so the rest of the Army can reach Dunkirk, or so that the fleet can escape into open waters, no – they must die so we don’t pollute our credentials, we don’t infringe on our national karma, and our psychic moppet remains unspanked. What more need be said ?
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