"The Eggs Speak up"

This was the title of a 1951 article written by Hannah Arendt. As in, those eggs (human beings) that must be broken (tortured, "rendered") in order to make our omelette ("happy freedom-time security"?). Although I have never read Arendt's essay, the Globe's Rick Salutin discusses this omelette-making madness in his excellent slam of our complicity in torture. Salutin refers to Anna Maria Tremonti's Oct 18th interview with Abdullah Almalki. Almalki, a Syrian-Canadian, made the "mistake" of visiting his family in Syria in 2002. He was tortured. You can listen to the ~17 min interview with Tremonti here (Real Player).

On the U.S. front, I hope you caught this Tuesday's "Torture Question" Frontline (discussed here). The producers did an excellent job of following the bloody paper-trail that lead to rendition and torture. Talk about your banality of evil! I can't believe they were able to interview some of the original drafters of those legal opinions (technocrat John Yoo was completely unapologetic). If you missed it, you can watch it online or read the full transcripts of the interviews included in the documentary. I would also recommend checking out the Q & A with the producer, Michael Kirk, at the WaPo online site.

There is new hope in Canada for striking-down Anne "new normal" McLellan's disgusting security certificates: The Supreme Court has indicated that it will hear Hassan Almrei's appeal. Almrei faces deportation to Syria; his is the second "security certificate" case to enter the court's docket, along with Adil Charkaoui. A third man, Mohamed Harkat, will also have his application for appeal considered. Amnesty, the UN, and the world is watching.