Sanitized For Your Protection

If you needed further evidence of how much of a bubble the residents of the Empire live, work, shop and play in, look no further than this piece appearing in the nation's paper of record. Purporting to discuss the issue of high governmental officials' involvement in the despicable practice of torturing suspects to obtain information (or, perhaps, just for the hell of it), the reporter cannot or has been forbidden to actually use the word "torture." So, what we have instead are the creative use of euphemisms: "brutal techniques," "harsh interrogation methods," "harsh treatment," "aggressive techniques," and finally, "abuse," this last coming from an actual person, Sen. Carl Levin, who should know better. Of course, this is not new, or novel, in any way; residents of the Empire do not wish to gaze upon the truth about themselves and their complicity in rape, murder, genocide, and torture in their Imperial adventures. Chaos could say a good deal more about how the words one uses defines their reality, limits their options for action, etc., but really, what would be the purpose? The most uncomfortable fact is that there exists in this benighted nation a large percentage of the population who approves of these barbaric practices, and why would anyone expect this to change?

Something You Won't Read Here: Too Many People

Leave it to the BBC to say what you cannot say here in the Empire: there are too many people, which are the cause of all the planet's problems, and we must reduce our population to get to "Utopia." Uh, no, that will not be on CNN, the NY Times, WashPost, LA Times, or your local birdcage liner. You won't read it in People, Time, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, or anywhere else. You can, however, read it here on the Edge, just by clicking here. Don't you feel special?