As If We Needed Reminding

The Mensch Gap
"A mensch is an upstanding person who takes responsibility for his actions. . . . Officials in this administration never take responsibility for their actions. When something goes wrong, it's always someone else's fault. . . . But how did such people attain power in the first place? Maybe it's the result of our infantilized media culture, in which politicians, like celebrities, are judged by the way they look, not the reality of their achievements. Mr. Bush isn't an effective leader, but he plays one on TV, and that's all that matters."

The Torturers Win
"We're in a new world now and the all-powerful U.S. government apparently has free rein to ruin innocent lives without even a nod in the direction of due process or fair play. . . . Mr. Arar's case became a world-class embarrassment when even Syria's torture professionals could elicit no evidence that he was in any way involved in terrorism. After 10 months, he was released. No charges were ever filed against him. . . . In other words, it wouldn't matter how hideously or egregiously Mr. Arar had been treated, or how illegally or disgustingly the government had behaved. The case would have to be dropped. Inquiries into this 21st-century Inquisition cannot be tolerated. Its activities must remain secret at all costs. . . . Under that reasoning, of course, the government could literally get away with murder. . . . Oh yes, by all means, we need the federal courts to fully protect the right of public officials to lie to their constituents."