PAYING THE PIPER

Anyone who who has had the misfortune of taking the bus in Los Angeles is probably aware that most of our drivers are, regrettably, rude and thoughtless. The reason is simple: drivers are instructed that their primary mission is not moving passengers in a courteous fashion, but moving busses in a timely fashion. The result is a tight schedule for the busses and a dismissive attitude for the passengers.

Attorney General Eric Holder’s investigation of torture during the Bush/Cheney administration is focused on the wrong people. Holder would do better to look away from the low-level operatives who did what they were told to do, and turn instead to those who told them to do it. Former V.P. Dick Cheney’s response to a FOX News question as to whether or not he will deign to cooperate with this investigation - "It will depend on the circumstances and what I think their activities are really involved in" - shows his profound disrespect for the law. Clearly he believes the law should simply be dismissed in favor of the judgment of those in power. His own administration is the best argument against that!

In the mean time, his arrogance is almost beyond belief and just within the borders of contempt. If Mr. Cheney really believes that his actions were appropriate, let him stand up in court and say so, accepting our praise if he is proven right, and the consequences if he is proven wrong. My guess is that this aging patriot will revert to his Viet Nam War strategy, sending others out to do battle while he hides behind deferments till the shooting stops.