Relatively Appropriate

by digby

Bush’s former speechwriter Michael Gerson is known as a Christian political operative with a very high moral standing. He wrote some of George W. Bush’s most soaring, spiritual rhetoric. (They were usually the least believable words coming out of the man’s mouth, although that’s arguable.) Today, he says he was against torture until he read the most excellent Bybee and Bradbury memos which show how serious and thoughtful the decision was. He explains that the proper moral position on torture is that we really should try to avoid it but it’s probably going to be necessary at times just because. And it’s especially ok if we make sure that thoughtful, sober memos are written to secretly legalize it. And anyway using nuclear weapons and firebombing like we did in WWII was worse, so this is nothing.

And he also says this isn’t moral relativism. I’m very relieved. Because moral relativism is very bad. Or, at least, that’s what I’ve been told.

I just pray no fellatio was involved in the torture regime or there is going to be hell to pay.