Democracy 2.0

The right to a fair trial is one of the cornerstones of democracy, right? Well, apparently not in New Democracy 2.0 (Iraq version)!

NEWARK, N.J. -- The attorney for a soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal said Thursday the government is trying to intimidate defense lawyers and witnesses by making them sign an agreement that they will not sue if they are injured or killed when they travel to Iraq.

I'm pretty sure they won't sue if they are killed. And in some ways, this is simple indemnification on the part of the US government. However, the implicit message here is obviously "prosecute this and you will be killed, and it won't be our fault."

I'm saddened that Sy Hersh's book Chain of Command isn't getting the publicity it so richly deserves. For some reason, the Abu Ghraib scandal has become the third rail of this political season. I'm not sure why. But I don't think we'll see a whole lot of uproar over this latest bullying tactic.

All right, off to watch the debate. Cheers!