I was listening to "Talk of the Nation" with host Neil Conan and author of "The Terrorist Watch" by Ronald Kessler as I drove today. Overall I thought that Neil let too much balance into the program actually agreeing (kinda) that waterboarding may have stopped terror attacks.
Neil was quick to point out that waterboarding is torture and spoke of it as if it was on the same level as Islamofascist torture used against our troops. Kessler pointed out that waterboarding was used in the training of SEALS and such and that Islamofascists used methods such as beheading which is arguably worse than waterboarding. Neil sounded unconvinced that America had not set a new standard for barbarism.
This is all as should be when listening to NPR. Whatever the subject, Neil and NPR utilize the same script to address it. At the Second Coming Neil and friends will ask why Americans should be allowed in Heaven because our beastly behavior and who exactly okayed it and when.
What caught my attention was that Kessler spoke of leaks by the press, one could visualize Neil getting his panties in a twist and his lips in a sneer as he straightened Mr. Kessler out with, "We just report them."
As my chuckles grew to laughter and tears formed in the corner of my eyes, sobering thoughts crossed my mind. Neil actually believes that. Neil doesn't get it. Neil read the memo. Neil just lied through his teeth and didn't lose a sneer.
People in the press such as Neil have been so in bed with government leakers for so long their marriage is common-law. As such, lying becomes common-place.
