Protecting State Secrets

Dear George,

Ideology is a loving straightjacket that gives us the brutal madness that keeps the boredom of our empty lives at bay. It tells us what to think, what to say and how to act. It keeps us pissed off and primed for violence as it fills our lives and gives us the illusion of meaning.

Here is an example of how it works. Let us say that my ideology is one that demands complete control over time. This requires that I remain constantly aware of the correct time. Imagine, if you would, a situation in which all the clocks and watches in the world have succumbed to a fatal, temporal virus except for two. One is broken and the other is fast. Which one must I choose if I am to remain true to my beliefs?

Ideologically, the answer is simple. I chose the broken watch because I know it will give me the correct time at least twice a day, while the watch that is fast will never give me the correct time.

There you have the logic that governs the Beltway. Once those good folks sink their teeth into an ideology, they don’t let go.

Now, let’s understand one thing, the Global War on Terror is not a war, it is an ideological mindset. It is one of the sweetest straightjackets the Beltway has ever worn, and it’s not about to give up the security that it offers.

We saw an example of this straight thinking Monday in a suit involving the kidnap and torture of terror suspect Ahmed Agiza (the name sounds foreign, so why not). It seems he, and other defendants, are suing a Boeing Corp. subsidiary for providing the planes that flew them overseas to be tortured.

Silly fools.

Right away Justice Department lawyer Douglas Letter jumped to his feet and demanded that the suit be dismissed on the grounds of national security. Yes, George, that doctrine of “state secrets” that you pulled out of the air to conceal your nasty little machinations still lives despite Obama’s rhetoric about change we can believe in.

Letter went on to warn the court that, “Judges shouldn’t play with fire,” by which he meant they shouldn’t dabble in Constitutional law.

The news report of the trail did mention Obama’s campaign promise to “reform the abuse of state secrets.”

People who try to throw Obama’s campaign promises back in his face forget one thing: A campaign is simply a quest for power, and all the promises made during the campaign vaporize as soon as power is achieved. Those who take them seriously deserve the disillusionment they experience.

Ideology is indeed a straightjacket, and it is only a matter of time before the country finds it to be a comfortable fit.

Your admirer,
Belacqua Jones