A few days old but worth watching as a Rorschach: Torture opponents will see this as exactly the same thing as what we’re doing to KSM while torture proponents will see it as exponentially worse. Granted, we’re talking about a grain dealer, not the guy who planned 9/11; granted, we’re talking about beatings with a plank with a nail in it, not belly slaps; granted, we’re talking about suffering for its own sake, not to elicit information to prevent mass murder. But other than that, the similarities are eerie. Ross Douthat’s first column for the NYT laments the fact that Cheney didn’t run last year instead of McCain so that we could have had a clear debate on this subject, up or down at the ballot box. No worries — I think we’re about to have it anyway.

The audio’s not clear in some parts, but according to ABC, “a sound of breaking bones can be heard on the tape” in the scene involving the SUV. As you watch, bear in mind that the UAE is supposed to be one of the more modernized Arab states. Click the image to watch.