How Defective Guns Became the Only Product That Can’t Be Recalled

An enraging story from Michael Smith and Polly Mosendz, for Bloomberg:

Taurus sold almost a million handguns that can potentially fire without anyone pulling the trigger. The government won’t fix the problem. The NRA is silent.

Gun manufacturers have long held an unassailable position in American business and politics. They need to be reminded that they aren’t above the law… and we can start by making them follow the same goddamn rules as everyone else.

Fighting Terror With Freedom

Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg has given a second incredibly-well-written speech in support of the so-called “Ground-Zero Moqsue,” which manages to have some lovely pull-quotes such as:

But if we say that a mosque and community center should not be built near the perimeter of the World Trade Center site, we would compromise our commitment to fighting terror with freedom.

and:

This is a test of our commitment to American values. We must have the courage of our convictions. We must do what is right, not what is easy. And we must put our faith in the freedoms that have sustained our great country for more than 200 years.

It is incredibly rare that I agree with anything a modern politician has to say, but I agree with the hell out of this.

U.S. Tortures Innocent Canadian Man, Gets Away With It

This is the United States in 2010: They can abduct an innocent man on false charges, keep him imprisoned for 10 months in a kennel barely big enough for a dog, torture him, release him without admitting any wrongdoing on their part, and then have the highest court in the land refuse to hear his case. Due to National Security. Which are the same auspices under which they tortured an innocent man.

This is capital-fucking-W Wrong and there is nothing that can make it right.