“Granted, the Coalition hasn’t descended all the way to Saddam’s level — at least not yet. Human Rights Watch and other reasonably reliable sources have documented that summary execution was a regular part of the old prison routine at Abu Ghraib. American war criminals, on the other hand, apparently draw the line at mild torture (what the Israelis like to call ‘physical pressure’) and ritual humiliation.

But that still leaves plenty of room for the physical degradation of the prisoners — and the moral degeneration of the guards and those who command them. And we’ve only been in Iraq for a year! Imagine what we’ll look like if we remain in power as long as Saddam.”

So how much deeper into the sewer are we collectively going to climb before we finally admit defeat?”