Yes I Have Balls wrote:IMO, ALL Americans in captivity need to be returned/exchanged for. Then, and ONLY THEN, can their alleged miscues/misdeeds be dealt with and in an American court of law. Not the court of public opinion or any one "news" channel.
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Eh, three "news" channels. Honestly, when was the last time all three "news" channels were taking similar lines on an issue as political as this one? The court of public opinion matters, like it or not. IMO, Tapper makes some great points in the second video.
I don't see any way this ends well for anybody because:
--the public will not know all the facts for decades, for good reason. Important facts being left out gives news outlets greater ability to fill in the blanks as they see fit.
--leaving Congress out of the loop limits the ability of Congressmembers to cover the decision
--this whole issue is connected with Guantanamo, which is still a hot button issue that just got higher profile
--the case is too high profile to sweep under the rug easily
--recidivism by the five freed detainees is a real risk (if one of them is linked with any attack that kills Americans, coalition forces or Afghan civilians; the court of public opinion will likely make it pretty clear it wasn't worth the price)
--"honor and distinction" have specific meanings in a military context. I'm in no position to say whether Rice misspoke or not (neither of us have the access she does), but it's one hell of a soundbite, which can't be ignored.
--Bergdahl may not be in the proper mental state to be a good witness, either in the short or longer term. This complicates everything.
"Liberalism is arbitrarily selective in its choice of whose dignity to champion." Adrian Vermeule