Over the past week or so, a new New York Times series (part 2) detailing an investigation into Afghans who were killed while in US military custody has been much discussed in the blogosphere. Needless to say, the idea that US soldiers, believing they were acting according to the wishes of their superiors, beat their (sometimes innocent) prisoners to death in the course of interrogating them is terrifying and disturbing. But what’s more terrifying is the chorus of hatemongers, morons, and psychopaths who believe that this story is “old news” and that the New York Times was wrong to print it. And more disturbingly, believe that the publishing of the story is evidence of a conspiracy among major media outlets to cover for one another. For more, see Bruce Rolston, or John Cole. It’s at times like these that I have to remind myself that this country and human society have been plagued with people of this ilk for all time, and that we’ve managed to survive. I should also mention that I’ve been following Jeanne d’Arc and Jim Henley on this topic for some time. I don’t have particular posts to point out, just read everything they write.