Comments on The Belmont Club,"Terrorism and moral torture"

When the community agreed, after much debate and soul searching, to permit some members to decline to participate in the communal duty to defend against a threat that the democratic and lawful authorities had designated it was done with certain understandings. Conscientious Objection could only apply to the individual who had a clear preceding basis to avoid violence. It did not absolve them from the expectation of being placed in another position of discomfort and danger, such as combat stretcher bearer. Also it was understood that the CO would not attempt to impose their position on the greater community that assumed the burden of protecting them. The Amish have rarely voted, understanding the entangling implications of so doing.

What has happened here is a game changing event in two ways. First because the values of a parasitical pacifist minority are being imposed on the majority and second by the use of administrative fiat, memo leaking and the violation of confidences. Finally it is of greater even Constitutional significance because the novel threat to prosecute Justice Department lawyers for having given their best professional advice is another ex-post facto act. This rewriting of the rules after the election is truly revolutionary. It partly serves to nail the Democrats loyalty to Obama's mast because they now know that if they ever lose another election they cannot predict the consequences. They are now in the position of the Senators who all were splattered by Caesar's blood. Once some crimes are committed you can't turn back.

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(because some people keep talking about militias and revolution)
No, no no no no no.
The answer is not a Militia. It is wrong, it is not just a possible legal or moral wrong if it becomes a cry for violence, it is a waste of time and energy. The answer to our problem is not found by putting on camouflage and running around in the woods telling your friends, who are probably telling ATFE or the FBI what your dreams are, that you are a Colonel in the Unorganized Militia. The answer is to get yourself elected to the local school board and your local political party's County Committee. I am not arguing against the 2nd Amendment or saying that competent people who know what they are doing can't train and I even thought the Minutemen observing on the border seemed to be trying to do right but the focus on revolution or withdrawal from the legal order is not only legally dangerous, and a great discourtesy I would think to others who do not want to be associated with it but it is sure to discredit the conservative opposition. Try winning some elections for a change.

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Today I heard Lindsay Graham use waterboarding and eye gouging in the same sentence, implying we had done both. The sad thing was that the man was trying to head off proceedings by the Democrats to indict Bush era lawyers.

Everyone breaks under torture. That is why every pilot, I was not an aviator as you can tell by my ability to use two syllable words, goes through SERE school where they will learn their breaking point.