Start spreading the news,
It’s breaking today,
KSM won’t be a part of it
In old New York!
If he can’t be tried there,
He’ll be tried some old where,
Away from you,
New York, New York!
Obama advisers set to recommend military tribunals for alleged 9/11 plotters – washingtonpost.com
Comments 28
Now that is one outstanding lyric! Look out Sully, looks like you have artistic competition.
March 5th, 2010 at 5:49 am
CK,please explain something to me,what’s your opinion on the Nuremberg Trials?
Is the Controversy here whether to try this guy for War Crimes. We took the “Moral High Ground” at Nuremberg,and set some standards for “Moral” warfare.
If 9/11 wasn’t a war crime,what was it?,do we have 3 classes of violent activity to redefine,WAR,Terrorism,Criminal?
I don’t understand the significance of the Debate over this,it seems just another skirmish of the ProBushs vs the AntiBushs.
Just on Principle,long before there was a BUSH,I felt that Military Justice is to Justice what Military Music is to Music. Is either Truth or Justice even on the Agenda of either side of this debate. Just sizing this KSM guy up,I don’t see him as a Mastermind of anything,what’s the evidence that he’s the man????
March 5th, 2010 at 8:17 am
You don’t drill to the Rite of Spring. My opinion on the Nuremberg Tribunal is that it was extraordinary, and I’m not sure how it figures into an argument against trying KSM et al differently than we’d try an ordinary criminal.
As for KSM in particular, I believe he comes close to qualifying for “mastermind,” or at least as key plotter. He also has blood on his hands and looks awful in a v-necked t-shirt. (Actually, the last inspires a small amount of sympathy from me: I’d hate to be arrested and photographed by the Progressive Nazis in similar attire; also it makes me think of those surprise parties that were in vogue when I was a kid when we’d be awakened unexpectedly and taken to a group breakfast in our pajamas.)
The point is that I don’t see us under any obligation to absorb unnecessary disadvantages in contending with these ugly fellows. They are at war with us. They have a political program and political ambitions such that we feel justified in sending planes and drones on bombing runs taking out non-combatants in substantial numbers. Entertaining ourselves with the image of our supposed higher morality can’t be justified if it comes at such a costs. If we’re not at war, then we should cease fighting. If we are at war, then we should seize every advantage within accepted military convention, up to and into the gray areas and accepting the further risk of overstepping, to win and end the war.
The only benefit that I see to trying KSM et al in civilian court is to titillate the ACLU Nazi Progressive Stalinist Democrats with visions of their own moral majesty. As a hardcore Progressive Constitutional Conservative, I have no interest in that kind of thing. My beautiful Constitution has gray areas for a reason.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:47 am
If we’re not at war, then we should cease fighting. If we are at war, then we should seize every advantage within accepted military convention, up to and into the gray areas and accepting the further risk of overstepping, to win and end the war.
We’re not at war,we just don’t want to be attacked again or ever,we’re in the same position as a Bank,that doesn’t want to be Robbed again,and we’ve sent soldiers to root out those potential bank robbers,and the Bank Robbers are hanging out with non-bank robbers until the coast clears. We have one ally left,The Bank of Israel,and we don’t want them robbed either.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Rex Caruthers wrote:
Can’t agree with that comparison, since banks typically rely on passive measures and can amortize losses through theft, in a way that a democratic society can’t amortize the mass murder.
Even if we aren’t at war in the same way that we would be with an existing state power, rather than with militants who aspire to state power, the moral equation would still be in favor of handling captives to the best effect, within the full moral context rather than the narrow legalistic one.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:13 am
@ CK MacLeod:
I always liked that book title.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:21 am
I think I know the Difficulty in the WOT,let’s PRETEND that we knew for a FACT that if we withdrew all Americans from Moslem territory,and if we stopped Military aid to Israel,that Terrorism against the US would stop,we still wouldn’t do that. WE’RE STUCK.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:27 am
@ Rex Caruthers:
What’s Moslem territory and why shouldn’t Americans be allowed to be on it?
March 5th, 2010 at 9:31 am
fuster wrote: @ Rex Caruthers:
What’s Moslem territory and why shouldn’t Americans be allowed to be on it?
Because we’re Infidel Dogs on Sacred Land
March 5th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Speak for yourself. I’ve always fancied myself more the monkeyboy.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:52 am
fuster – here, here!
Progressive CK, you are not being nice – do you want to start that all up again?
March 5th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Wait a minute? I am agreeing with fuster!! Backing off an opportunity to call out CK (even though he is dead right about doing whatever is necessary to put KSM out of public circulation)?
I obviously don’t feel well. I need to go see a doc… oh wait, Obama decided I cannot be seen for unknown diseases as they cost too much money for an unknown benefit. I know – I’ll say it was Bush’s fault. Then they will see me.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:49 am
@ JEM:
You probably hung around CK too long and caught hoof and mouth or trenchfoot or something equally fab.
Go buy yourself some tourniquet tubing, rubber bandages, fentanyl, and a Zimmer bone saw and await further instruction.
March 5th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Stop spreading the news.
No decision until deals are made and in place weeks from now.
http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/03/05/decision-on-ksm-trial-weeks-away/
March 5th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
The irony of course, was that Nuremberg was a military tribunal, something Chris Dodd never bothered to learn, from his father who was a prosecutor in the effort. I was just about to congratulate them for ‘seeing reason’, thanks for making me hold back. Of course, McCarthy gets it right on the goal
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZTEzYmFjYzMwZjA4ODZmZTQxOGNkYjYxNWY4M2FkNDk=
March 5th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
I think we’ll be singing the song again. Quick and painless is not how this administration does things. They’re just easing you into it, Mr Cluck, just like they’re easing us all into a nuclear Iran, though there may still be some potential slips between cup and lip on the latter one.
March 5th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
@ narciso:
McCarthy may have this one right.
March 5th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
I want a trial in New York for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. I want it! I want it!! I want it!!!
I also want him released by a federal judge on the grounds that he can’t get a fair trial since both the President and the Attorney General have already declared him guilty. I want that even more!
It’s too much to ask that he be granted asylum by an INS judge because he can’t be safely repatriated anywhere; so I won’t even hope the madness goes that far.
March 5th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
@ CK MacLeod:
Oh, I’ve not said anything to deny the idea that the trial may be called off. I’m going with an idea that Obama might be willing to trade it away if he gets the R’s to give something he desires more.
Accept my assurance that I’m good and sick about it.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
There is nothing to give, J. Emmett, it was a bad move on Jan 20th,
and subsequent events have shown it was more wrong
March 5th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
There’s an illegal combatant Khalid,
Who planned a supremely foul deed,
He was caught by our guys fair and square,
Making war out of uniform over there,
So he should have been hung without heed,
After he told all he knew for some air.
But Cheyney and Bush let him molder,
‘Til along came Obama and Holder,
Who said, “He’s guilty but hold a show trial,
So we all can pretend for a while,
That we’re better for going the mile,
Before hanging him high with a smile.”
All was well ’til the pols in New York,
Who had hoped to dine well on some pork,
Saw that the public would never, no way,
Sit still for a billion to pay,
For the sheer hassle of trying the dork,
While keeping his nut buddies away.
So now Chicago’s favorite son,
The modern Canute, that’s the one,
Has egg on his face by the ton.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I liked it much. Don’t know about the tacked on bit. Might need something more there.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
I ran out of revising time at about the same time as I ran out of inspiration.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
It’s remains a welcome addition and if you keep cranking them out I’ll be pleased to send you another bottle of inspiration.
March 5th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Yes, was quite good, but I agree with the frogperson about the last three lines. In my opinion, lose ‘em if you can’t take ‘em furtherer.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
@ fuster:
BTW – what book title?
March 5th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
@ CK MacLeod:
http://www.amazon.com/Military-Justice-As-Music-Music/dp/0060138416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267857560&sr=1-1
March 5th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
A cursory search indicates that the quote is misattributed to Groucho Marx, but probably derives from a statement of Clemenceau’s. “It suffices to add ‘military’ to a word for it to lose its meaning. Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.” Not sure who first referred to “military intelligence” as an oxymoron, though it makes me think of George Carlin.
March 5th, 2010 at 11:14 pm