THE NINNY INQUISITION

How do our opponents in the world come to the conclusion that we are a divided nation lead by fools? The usual thought is that they rely on their intelligences services. But I differ. I think they watch C- SPAN instead.

I came to this conclusion watching the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Rights today make a laughing stock of itself questioning of the Administration about torture. This subcommittee is packed with the least knowledgeable and most fatuous members to be found among America's Democrats. Most are black but Jerry "Pineapple head" Nadler, Ms. Wasserman-Schultz, and Mr. Cohen represented the other minority interest. Nadler invited Congressman Delahunt of the People's Republic of Massachusetts to sit in and ask a few insulting questions over the protest of the sole Republican in attendance.

Defending both the Administration and the Meehan Principle that deference before a congressional committee is folly, was Professor Hoo, (Dr. Who?) David Addington and some legal boffin who's name I forget and who contributed little. Hoo was studious and knowledgeable but seemed a bit dubious as to weather his interlocutors could actually be Congressmen.

Now if I were the Sultan of Farrago or the "Dear Leader" of North Korea I would take the following lessens from what I witnessed today.

The ascendant party in the USA is much more interested in tripping up the other party than in defending the national interest. Indeed I would come to the conclusion that this party was not interested in representing the interest of the US at all. This committee embodies the view that it is the majority interest of this country that represents the true threat. So they hammer to the the best of their limited abilities against an administration which , however wrongheadedly, is trying to defeat a real adversary. And in a lawyer ridden country, even affirmative action dolts can cripple the machinery of power.

If I were the Sultan, I would note that Mr. Addington was focused, intelligent, in command, and a man best left unprovoked. He easily anticipated the ploys of his questioners and displayed just that degree of hauteur with which a decision maker condescends to mere politicians. He even feigned help to an exasperated Wasserman-Schultz in re-framing one of her more tendentious questions. His response to the many simpleminded lines of enquiry put to him by the best black minds in Congress conjures the the old phrase, "Putting them in their place." In fairness to Ms. Wasserman-Shultz it does appear that she has at least six more teeth than permitted by the human genome and this makes for a speech impediment-like condition that makes all around her want to help.

But if I were the Sultan, Addington's or Yoo's grace under pressure would not impress me so much as the power of a minority interest to cripple a Democracy. What was on display was the Nietzschian dictum of Democracy as the tyranny of the weak over the strong. In this case, the machinery for protection of the citizen from the government is perverted to protect the enemy of the citizen from the government. The obvious inferiority of the the Administrations enemies coupled with their irresponsible quest to score points would tell me all I needed to know about America's resolve.

Of course the whole enemy combatant affair was bungled from the start but what good does it do to try to winkle the details of the definition of torture out of administration attorneys? As yet the dusky Solon's have found not a single bit of evidence to indicate that anyone in the administration told anyone in the military or the CIA to cut, electrify or beat anyone. That seems a very good record considering that they were still pulling human remains out of the WTC rubble while the event's in questions were happening.

One final word about the "Representatives of the People," am I the only one to notice that sitting behind the majority, in staff seating, was a succession of rather attractive females. They tend to be of the same race as the Representative and as I say, nubile rather and plain. In fact the staffs of most congressmen seem to reflect the tribal and sexual preferences of the Representative rather than those of the constituents. And do remember, these are the ninny's who preach diversity to the rest of us.

I'm don't think highly of this sort of thing but I'm sure the Sultan and the Dear Leader would understand perfectly.