Art Pottery, Politics and Food
Thursday, September 14, 2006
 

Georgius Bushicus on a silver Roman Denarius, ancient value = 10 asses

Ever pussyfooting for self-preservation, the Pontifex Maximus of Crawford, this morning, ascended the Capitoline Hill in a rare almost work-like effort to plant a political poison pill while eliminating the phrase "outrages upon personal dignity" from Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.
Our god Emperor desires even more power and a winnowing of war crime prosecutions to specific and spinable categories of illegal acts while hiding the same in a Senate resolution to allegedly honor the just passed September 11th anniversary.
As Maxwell Smart used to say, "Missed it by that much!"
I thinks it's worth remembering a quote, from the retired chief of the war law branch of the Army's Office of the Judge Advocate General, in an article about the Bush "clarifications" of the War Crimes provisions of the Geneva Conventions in the recently published August 9th edition of the Washington Post.
According to Lt. Col. Geoffrey S. Corn:

"This removal of [any] reference to humiliating and degrading treatment will be perceived by experts and probably allies as 'rewriting'…[Common Article 3 was] left deliberately vague because efforts to define it would invariably lead to wrongdoers identifying 'exceptions,' and because the meaning was plain -- treat people like humans and not animals or objects."

Of course, “plain meaning” has always baffled this intentionally baffled and highly self-centered crowd.
As we figuratively return to the Capitol’s marble steps we spy former imperial advisor and retired general Colin Brutus pulling this metaphoric dagger from his toga:

“The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight…to redefine Common Article 3 would add to those doubts. Furthermore, it would put our own troops at risk."

Unfortunately, the emperor had a pressing engagement with his personal trainer and had left the building.

Modified Image: StarCats.com, UOregon.edu
- posted by Sean @ 2:25 PM
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