The narcissistic stridency of partisan language in American politics today lacks the maturity to measure the full negative impact it can exact on America's worldwide image.  The relentless discussion of water boarding is an example of politicians caring more about the benefits of gaining a political advantage than the cost of that advantage counted out in the currency of a nation's reputation.   Here's common knowledge about water boarding:  interrogators, working for one or more paramilitary agencies (C.I.A. included), on a small number of occasions, used a non-lethal technique to extract information from persons thought to have particularly important knowledge of pending terrorists attacks.  That technique, typically lasting less than two minutes, simulates the feeling of drowning without the deadly effects.   The initial discussion of torture, surrounding the Abu Ghraib episode, involved the despicable behavior of a local cadre of prison guards...(Read Full Post)