Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

Categories: Capital Read, Inkless Wells

Ignatieff, torture, NDP

by Paul Wells on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:08pm - 107 Comments

From the Inkless emailbox. This news release from the NDP is pretty incendiary, but readers who don’t welcome the message will want to know (a) that the NDP is putting this stuff about and (b) that this is probably what a general election campaign will feel like. Readers who welcome the message, on the other hand, will welcome the message. Buckle up:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

REALITY CHECK: Join Ignatieff’s Book Club on Torture

Yesterday in scrums, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff attempted to dismiss charges of hypocrisy against him, by challenging reporters to examine his well known statements about the appropriate use of torture:

“I did twenty minutes [sic] of journalism on protecting human rights, I have no explanations to make here, I have always been against torture. If you would take the trouble to read what I have said, you will see that it’s a terrible accusation.” – Michael Ignatieff, CTV News Channel, 23 November 2009

Okay. Let’s take him up on that:

ON WHEN TORTURE ISN’T EVIL
“…in a situation of extreme necessity, the possibility, even a slight possibility, that it [torture] may reveal some life saving result would almost certainly overwhelm any consideration that it is evil.” – Michael Ignatieff, The Gifford Lectures, University of Edinburgh, January 2003

ON HOW DEMOCRACIES SHOULD JUSTIFY TORTURE
“The use of coercive force in a liberal democracy…is regarded as a lesser evil. This particular view of democracy does not prohibit emergency suspensions of rights in times of terror. But it imposes an obligation on government to justify such measures publicly, to submit them to judicial review, and to circumscribe them with sunset clauses so that they do not become permanent.” – Michael Ignatieff, The Lesser Evil: Political ethics in an age of terror, Princeton University Press, 2004

But don’t just take our word for it, Ignatieff’s writings on the appropriate use of torture are of concern to Liberals as well:

“To justify violence, he must have really given it serious thought. Otherwise, that’s very dangerous. What guarantee would there be that he wouldn’t change his mind again?” – Terrorism and counter-terrorism scholar Dr. Janine Krieber, Facebook message as reprinted in Toronto Star, 21 November 2009
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Tags: Michael Ignatieff, NDP, the pen is mightier, torture

More by Paul Wells

http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

WOW! I have never seen so many anti-NDP posts. Hmmmm … ah! now I get it liberals getting a little antsy eh? ROFL – this is going to be fun
Mulletaur

The latter, obviously. That's why the NDP shouldn't have sent out this release, and instead should have worked together with the Liberals and the Bloc to coordinate a strategy to hold the Harper Conservative government to account over this issue.
http://intensedebate.com/people/OntarioTown OntarioTown

NDP have done a very foolish thing here. They're politicing it and that takes away the seriousness of the issue.

Is it about principle or political points?
Casual Observer

Anyone who follows politics knows this is standard fare from the NDP.
As stated previously, the weasel Layton et al will do anything to get a taste of power. As the lefty-loons NDP are right now the Liberals bigest and worst threat, I hope Donolo and company set Layton and his band of loons squarely in their targets.
Malcolm

So, we have a resolution from a fringe group within the NDP, a resolution which was never even discussed at the convention, offered up as "evidence" by a Liberal apologist.

Liberal = Liar

Tout c'est la meme chose
Johnny Comando

Ok Here it is – I hate the conservatives because they are plain ignorant and have no idea. I have been very disgruntled with the Liberals for allowing the ignorant to literally get away with murder. I had considered throwing my support to the NDP despite Jack and the mess they made when we let them rule Ontario.

After this – I have no choice left – LETS GO GREEN PARTY. Time for Elizabeth to have a shot I guess.