The Foggy Bottom

They say it's impossible to determine what's true, half-true, bullshit, or outright false during battle (especially after the fact) due to what's called the 'fog of war.' And that as often as not the purveyors often themselves don't fully know the truth values of their statements.

Be that as it may, many are the number who use this fugue state of facts to hide their mendacity or as an excuse for their evil doing.

Be prepared for more of the same. On Monday, Jose Rodriguez's book Hard Measures will be coming out. The former chief of CIA clandestine operations is purportedly going to offer up his justification for the use of torture and near-torture during the Bush-era 'war on terror.'

Former VP Dick 'Darth' Cheney [aka 'Shooter'] has been the most vocal proponent of that thing which everybody in the world except those who stand to be convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity for using it calls torture. The defense? 'Cause it works.

Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats have effectively shot down that utilitarian defense, having found a "lack of evidence" that "enhanced interrogations" played any "material role" in producing counter-terrorism "breakthroughs". [Pay attention to those terms in quotes; that's where all the wiggle room is.]

My sense is that we will never get to the bottom of this murk and that Dick Cheney's [pig's] heart will cease ticking before he's brought to anything resembling justice. He will most likely go to his grave believing he was right and his actions honorable and patriotic and justified—however delusionally. And that is the American shame of the 21st Century.