CIA & Torture, Camus and His German Friend

I wish I were uncynical enough to be surprised by what was contained in the summary report on torture from the Senate Select Subcommittee on Intelligence.  Hell, I’d settle for being uncynical enough to think that it contributes significantly to reform.  I initially used the word "naive" for "uncynical" but it's not naive to hope - it just gets tiresome sometimes.

I have a whole long essay in my head having to do with destroying your principles in order to support the structures that are supposed to protect those principles.  I’ll probably get to it in some ordered fashion, but at the present time, it amounts to noise.  I should do it, because I think I have some small insights to share, but not now.

What keep slipping into the center of my mind at the moment are four essays by Albert Camus entitled “Letters to a German Friend” in which he speaks about the consequences of subordinating not only the individual but also morality for the good of the state.  They were first published in 1945 but are, at least ostensibly, written for the period at the outset of World War II.

For now, I’ll just leave you with the beginning paragraph of the first letter:

You said to me: "The greatness of my country is beyond price. Anything is good that contributes to its greatness. And in a world where everything has lost its meaning, those who, like us young Germans, are lucky enough to find a meaning in the destiny of our nation must sacrifice everything else." I loved you then, but at that point we diverged. "No," I told you, "I cannot believe that everything must be subordinated to a single end. There are means that cannot be excused. And I should like to be able to love my country and still love justice. I don't want just any greatness for it, particularly a greatness born of blood and falsehood. I want to keep it alive by keeping justice alive." You retorted: "Well, you don't love your country."