My essay on “The FBI’s Right to Threaten Torture” has been deftly refuted by Bob Weir, the editor of The News Connection down in Texas.  Here is the response he sent The Future of Freedom Foundation:
“Keep your eyes on this case, because it could help determine how far feds can go to destroy innocent people.” [a quote from my article]
Correction: It could help determine how far feds will go to save innocent people from terrorists who are willing to sacrifice their lives to kill Americans. If one of those murderous cretins had information about a school building, occupied by 500 children, that was about to be blown up, should torture be used to save those kids? Perhaps you think it’s noble to say it’s okay to let those kids die rather than use force on their killer. Most clear thinking Americans would say that’s not nobility; it’s insanity. I suppose
we should consider ourselves fortunate that you are not in charge of our security. We’d all be cinders by now.
Bob Weir
Executive Editor
The News Connection
 *****
 My response:
The fact that the FBI’s threat of torturing family members evoked a false confession from Higazy doesn’t trouble Bob.
Instead, all that matters is that people should blindly trust government and let it seize boundless power to keep us all safe.
If the White House ever needs a new spokesman to take the place of the next person who bails out of that job, Bob should be at the head of the list. He would be a natural for that gig, since he already equates groveling with nobility.