I was re-reading Christoper Hitchen's article in Slate about the prison tortures and this quote sticks out to me:
One of two things must necessarily be true. Either these goons were acting on someone's authority, in which case there is a layer of mid- to high-level people who think that they are not bound by the laws and codes and standing orders. Or they were acting on their own authority, in which case they are the equivalent of mutineers, deserters, or traitors in the field. This is why one asks wistfully if there is no provision in the procedures of military justice for them to be taken out and shot.
There are many levels to why we should be outraged about this.
Posted by dmason at May 6, 2004 09:59 PM