Waterboarding Isn't the New Ride at Your Local Waterpark

I have been trying to keep this blog toned more to the general happenings in my life and documenting the move to the East, Peace Corps application, and that stuff. But I do like politics, and I am in the political capital of the country, so I think it's justified to quickly rant about some right-wing things of late.

Ranting Point #1
The first is an absolutely disgusting show of a void of ethics of Rush Limbaugh (and I assume a lot of his followers). I just came across this recently, but apparently last summer Rush introduced a "Club Git'mo" campaign. Included in this are T-Shirts with slogans like "Your Tropical Retreat from the Stress of Jihad," and "What Happens at Git'mo Stays at Git'mo."

I can't even explain my abhorrence of this. I don't think torture is a laughing matter, nor is joking about simulated drowning (up to a reported 266 times for one prisoner). Terrorism is no laughing matter and those guilty of conspiring or carrying out acts of terror should be held accountable for their perverse actions. On that same note, torture and a denial of due process is no laughing matter, either. Those responsible for allowing the United States to commit torture (ahem Bush, Cheney, Condi), should be accountable for their crimes against humanity. If they aren't, how can we as a nation claim to stand on a higher moral ground than our enemies?

Oh and Rush? You're a moron.

Ranting Point #2
The Department of Homeland Security recently released a report outlining potential threats of domestic terrorism, pointing out that groups such as veterans and the anti-abortion camp might be easy recruiters by right-wing extremists. Obviously there has been a huge backlash to this report, and Secretary Napolitano has said the report was not well written. Come on guys, the term "extremist" suggests it's a person on the very fringe of a group, not the collective group as a whole (ie Muslims aren't all extremists). Also, when I think of right-wing extremists, I think of abortion clinic bombers and Timothy McVeigh (a veteran). The report doesn't suggest that all veterans are prone to extremism, but that some who are disenfranchised and severely jaded may move toward extremist behaviour.

Also, where where all of you when Bush was labeling lefties as extremists and terrorists during the Iraq War? We were furious when the Patriot Act was passed (and still are), and that's 100-times more damning than DHS' report.