A reader has a question

Last updated on: January 1, 2015 at 3:04 pm by Mark Shea

A reader has a question 2015-01-01T15:04:53-07:00 Mark Shea

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A reader asks

Please suggest names of “conservatives” (by this I mean to say, people who might be swimming against the general current in their own usual “political” cohort) who are writing good stuff against torture. (This is a request.)

BTW, my fave recent find in this area is Christopher Tollefsen’s article against torture at the Witherspoon Institution website.

Hmmm… I have never attempted a catalog. Speaking quite randomly the first stuff thet comes to mind, and with the usual IIRC caveats, I would note (from the blogosphere) such voices as Zippy Catholic, Tom Kreitzberg, Feddie at Southern Appeal, Eve Tushnet, blackadder at Vox Nova, and John Schwenkler. Also, Rod Dreher, Maclin Horton, Red Cardigan and Daniel Larison have been vocal critics, as well as A Conservative Blog for Peace and Western Confucian. In addition, Scott P. Richert at Chronicles and Takimag was sending me “buck up” emails and posting his own critiques of the torture defenders. John Zmirak has also, I think, had some rather sharp words for the sophists, I believe. And I know Brian Saint-Paul, who edits Inside Catholic has been critical of the pro-torture sophistries of the Rubber Hose Right as well. And just today, I am happy to report Russell Saltzman is another voice in the ranks of those trying to shout the Bleedin’ Obvious to torture defenders still trapped inside the Bubble.

Of course, on the MSM scene, probably the most vocal voice with at least a toehold in the “conservative” camp is Andrew Sullivan, though “conservative” is not an adjective I’d use to describe him. However, he has, to his great credit, been relentless in exposing the criminal BS both of state actors and of the media (both mainstream and in-the-tank “conservative”) in acting as willing accomplices, enablers, shills or cowards. Some of the voices on FOX News (as the clip of Ron Paul demonstrates) have also rejected torture. I mean really rejected it, not simply said, “I’m against torture, of course, but the Administration has done nothing wrong.”

Beyond that, perhaps my readers can think of others. I apologize if I left anybody out. I only had three hours sleep last night.

It might be time for a Coalition of Clarity to form among conservative media types, writers and thinkers, so as to form a sort of conscious nucleus of people who wish to raise their voices on behalf of all those conservatives for whom the Rubber Hose Right does not speak. Otherwise, the torture defenders will continue to be the default face of conservatism and, far more embarrassing and deadly, of the prolife movement and the Christian community. Not that Lefty torture opponents aren’t welcome too. It’s just that, in this fight, it is the Right that has the main burden of atoning to do, just as with abortion, it is primarily teh burden of the Left.

Personally, I think the first order of business is to make rejection of torture part of the “non-negotiables” on every Christian voter’s guide. How’s that for doomed and quixotic?

I guess this is just another lost cause, Mr. Paine. All you people don’t know about lost causes. Mr. Paine does. He said once they were the only causes worth fighting for. And he fought for them once, for the only reason any man ever fights for them; because of just one plain simple rule: ‘Love thy neighbor.’… And you know that you fight for the lost causes harder than for any other. Yes, you even die for them. – Jefferson Smith

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