This is one of the best articles I've come across re: what to do with the */Darth

[Mist]

cabal when they're out of office. Very well done bitter sarcasm from Spocko's Brain:

http://www.spockosbrain.com/

Scroll past the snowboarding film and the Ayers interview.

This is from a week ago, so I apologize if it's already been posted.

[hlthe2b]

1. Can't you include a couple of brief paragraphs?

I often get a computer lock up with scripting errors when I go to some of the sites with lots of embedded video, so I am cautious. I suspect others, though may be likely to skip without having some idea what the article says. :shrug:

[Atman]

2. Here you go...

Q. Dear Mr. Spocko, should we call the losing Republicans and conservatives to account for their actions and hateful words during the last eight years? What should we do?

Also, is it okay to gloat or at least mock them?

A. Just drop it.
The game is over.
They lost, we won.

Focusing on the people who supported them won't get us anywhere. We should really focus only on the future. Isn't one of our biggest groups called MoveOn?

If you are looking for a model that makes sense for how to act now we should really be acting like the surviving Jews after World War II.

The guy who lost during WW II was punished (my grasp on human history is tenuous but I think he killed himself because he felt so bad about what he did). The Americans and Jews had a big event where then forgave the people who supported him, especially those who were just following orders. I'm a bit fuzzy on this but I think they concluded that the people who created the programs weren't really responsible nor were the people who were just following orders. There was really only one person responsible and he was now out of power. He had an accountability moment. What more is there to do? Clearly his ideas and his policies were repudiated after he left office in a bunker.

The Jews decided that it was more important to move on with their lives than to try and bring to justice the people who made life miserable for others. What good can come from remembering the bad stuff? I think "Always Forget" was even their motto after the war. Let their acts and world view slink away.

<snip>

.

[hlthe2b]

3. Thanks... But, this is such an inaccurate premise, it stuns me...

Does the author know nothing of the Nuremberg Trials? Is all knowledge of history being lost or are our schools really that bad? :shrug:

[Atman]

4. I think the point was that's it's totally sarcastic.

It took me a second, but it's clearly not meant to be taken seriously. I hope.

.

[hlthe2b]

5. I hope so too...

[Mist]

6. Yes, it's very sarcastic and very bitter. And thanks, Atman, for posting a couple

of paragraphs. I should have done so myself. Mea culpa.

[NV Whino]

9. He's right on one point

We cannot prove they broke the law(s). They simply changed the law(s) to suit their needs. So pursue that in a court of law wastes time, energy and money. And that is where Obama is coming from.

But forget and forgive and not gloat when they do get a come-uppance? No way.

[Mist]

10. But was it even legal to change the law? That might be an avenue to pursue. nt

[NV Whino]

12. Good question

And a very large can of worms.

[iamtechus]

11. It would feel so good to forget

From both a moral and legal standpoint, the Vietnam war and the Iraq war are very similar, and because those responsible
for the former were never held to account, neither will those responsible for the latter be. Because everyone was so
damned anxious to "moveon" from the Vietnam war, so the die was caste for conveniently forgetting "our" crimes in Iraq.

[Mist]

7. A couple more snips:

<snip>

I believe the famous saying applies here: "Those who cannot remember the past will never repeat it". I expect that some people will want to make some strong case for "justice", but we all know that it's waste of time. They have really, really smart lawyers who will happily tie you up with their legal reasoning. I mean John Yoo teaches law! Besides, the cable TV and radio hosts will encourage us to all come together like they did under Bush.

<snip>

If there was one thing that they were good about it was following the law. If the law wasn't what they wanted, they created the law that was needed so no laws were broken. If laws were broken they would be in jail, right? They held themselves to that standard, which is really what America has always been about. People who are not in jail are innocent.
<snip>

[hlthe2b]

8. Ahh, thanks lulu

That does make it clear....