Today’s article by Karen Kwiatkowski at LewRockwell.com is an interesting take on the way to defeat the neocons – and generally, anyone who relies on the argument of force, rather than the force of argument.
Now, I’m a fan of cultural history, which is relevant because art often reflects the undercurrents of society. So Col. Kwiatkowski’s column reminded me of an episode of a delightfully subversive SF show called Babylon 5 (starring Yugoslav actress Mira Furlan, among others) from a few years back. At one point, an Earth officer – who had rebelled against the government that turned fascist using a terrorist attack as an excuse – is captured and interrogated by the fascists.
The entire episode takes place in his cell, where the interrogator/torturer tries to break Captain Sheridan in a cold, calculated manner – and keeps failing.
At one point he asks the drugged, starved, poisoned, beaten, and utterly powerless prisoner, mocking his devotion to the truth:
“Can you win?”
Sheridan replies: “Every time I say ‘No’.”
That’s really all it takes. They never break him.
And they lose