The word waterboarding has become a familiar part of American conversation during the last year or so, but in practical terms it still remains something out of black-ops fiction. That’s why controversial author Christopher Hitchens agreed to a challenge from Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter and submitted to a waterboarding session at the hands of specialists whose normal job is to train soldiers how to resist the technique. Hitchens’s report appears in the August issue of the magazine, and it’s also available online.
Potentially more persuasive to the masses, however, is this disturbing video of the ordeal. I won’t spoil it for you; it’s short and you should see it yourself. Shame that Vanity Fair doesn’t allow embedding the video, but I suspect it’ll be viewed plenty anyway. (I’m sure lots of folks will claim that the lousy atheist had it coming, too.) Grim musical relevance: Try not to shudder at the use of “O Fortuna” from Orff’s Carmina burana in the loud, obnoxious dance-mix soundtrack to which Hitchens is also subjected. (Thanks to my colleague Elisabeth Vincentelli, a.k.a. The Determined Dilettante, for the pointer.)
Night After Night 
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