Two good blog posts about Bush and Libby

http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2007/07/more-historical.html

The Federalists arguing about whether the President should have the right to pardon with a bonus mention of Vice Presidents as public hazard, and a suggestion that clemency is only needed in cruel, sloppy legal systems.

Link found at Unqualified Offerings.

http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2007/07/l33t-justice.html

The commutation, rather than being some canny half-measure some are calling it, is actually worse than a pardon. The President's saying "Fine, fine, I agree a jury of his peers found him guilty of multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice, but I don't think he should be punished for that." He's not even saying that he believes Scooter's innocent. He just doesn't think people like Scooter should have to suffer just because they're guilty.

This isn't the best bit, but I'm going to leave the gaming analysis of the commutation to be read in order.

If Kung Fu Monkey seems vaguely familiar, it's because I linked to his piece about amusement park rides.

Link found at Making Light.

Two good blog posts about Bush and Libby

http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2007/07/more-historical.html

The Federalists arguing about whether the President should have the right to pardon with a bonus mention of Vice Presidents as public hazard, and a suggestion that clemency is only needed in cruel, sloppy legal systems.

Link found at Unqualified Offerings.

http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2007/07/l33t-justice.html

The commutation, rather than being some canny half-measure some are calling it, is actually worse than a pardon. The President's saying "Fine, fine, I agree a jury of his peers found him guilty of multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice, but I don't think he should be punished for that." He's not even saying that he believes Scooter's innocent. He just doesn't think people like Scooter should have to suffer just because they're guilty.

This isn't the best bit, but I'm going to leave the gaming analysis of the commutation to be read in order.

If Kung Fu Monkey seems vaguely familiar, it's because I linked to his piece about amusement park rides.

Link found at Making Light.

On the elimination of shame

A comment I wrote to Obsidian Wings.

Imho, American culture has become more blatantly nasty in the past decade or so.

I'm inclined to think that Rosseau and/or other romantics bought the dynamite and Limbaugh lit the fuse.

The problem (and I think it's a very real problem) is that the classic ideal of a good life is one of restraining a lot of impulses. If you accept the romantic idea that there's a lot of truth and value in those repressed impulses (and I agree that there is), you're eventually thrown up against the fact that not all of those impulses are anything you really want to live with.

In effect, it's ok to come out of the closet about wanting to humiliate people. We have smug, unshameable bullies. In public. I don't think the US used to be like this.

I don't know what the way out is. I believe that some of the repressed impulses (frex, for gay sex) are actually better allowed out in public, so it's not just a matter of going back to some past set of standards.

Further thought: The whole troll/American Idol thing is dependent on some people still being vulnerable to shame.

On the elimination of shame

A comment I wrote to Obsidian Wings.

Imho, American culture has become more blatantly nasty in the past decade or so.

I'm inclined to think that Rosseau and/or other romantics bought the dynamite and Limbaugh lit the fuse.

The problem (and I think it's a very real problem) is that the classic ideal of a good life is one of restraining a lot of impulses. If you accept the romantic idea that there's a lot of truth and value in those repressed impulses (and I agree that there is), you're eventually thrown up against the fact that not all of those impulses are anything you really want to live with.

In effect, it's ok to come out of the closet about wanting to humiliate people. We have smug, unshameable bullies. In public. I don't think the US used to be like this.

I don't know what the way out is. I believe that some of the repressed impulses (frex, for gay sex) are actually better allowed out in public, so it's not just a matter of going back to some past set of standards.

Further thought: The whole troll/American Idol thing is dependent on some people still being vulnerable to shame.