King of Pain By Paul Krugman

  We know that the world would see this action as a U.S. repudiation of the rules that bind civilized nations. We also know that an extraordinary lineup of former military and intelligence leaders, including Colin Powell, have spoken out against the Bush plan, warning that it would further damage America's faltering moral standing, and end up endangering U.S. troops.

    But I haven't seen much discussion of the underlying question: why is Mr. Bush so determined to engage in torture? more...