What Nichols can’t explain, of course, is what happened to shape a mild-mannered young man called Dick Cheney into a power-crazed fanatic. Significantly, the only poignant moments in the entire book are when Nichols describes Cheney’s parents. Both were staunch Democrats, and his father, who worked for the Soil Conservation Service, followed the visionary lead of its founder, Hugh Hammond Bennett, who declared that “no man should have the right, legally or otherwise, to recklessly or wilfully destroy or unnecessarily waste any resources on which public welfare is dependent”.

What did Cheney think when, in 2000, his father pointedly told him, “you can’t take my vote for granted?”

What does Dick Cheney see when he looks in the mirror?

Racism? Xenophobia? Well, let me see: would it be the persistent hostility towards immigrants, and particularly, it seems, towards Muslim immigrants, that frames the whole approach of some of the commenters on the site?

Or would it, perhaps, be the mind-set that informs comments like the reference to “hangers-on in the seedy world that surrounded Finsbury Park mosque,” with its sweeping implications about everyone who attended the mosque?

In addition, my use of the word “toxins” very clearly refers to people’s ideas and not the people themselves, and I am entitled to believe that some of the comments are toxic, just as people who hide behind pseudonyms are allowed to make disparaging comments about me.

Ah, but you should see what’s on Andy’s own website.

I quote: “… but because of the manipulative misinformation provided by a number of regular commenters, who have been persistently attempting to ignore these issues, and to focus, instead, on a thinly-disguised racist and xenophobic agenda.”

“Thanks very much, Kate. Glad to hear that I succeeded in countering some of the specific toxins. That was my intention, although the xenophobes and racists seem to be impervious to reason. I dont think theyre rattled, sadly; I think instead that they think theyre exploiting weaknesses in the Guardians coverage and are oblivious to the fact that they refuse to engage with the central issues…”

I don’t see that at all, Andy. In fact, I find your inference of racism juvenile. Can you cite anything racist or xenophobic, or is this just your own judgement?

Funnily enough, I think the use of the word ‘toxins’ to describe other human beings to be quite… dehumanisising.

I think that the other posters have provided a lot of information – not misinformation – that is at the heart of the debate. They have served us well, and as so often happens, have provided insights wholly lacking in the coverage, which you yourself describe in terms of ‘weaknesses’.

I am currently writing a novel within which I have the stories of a number of foreign nationals who are deported, imprisoned and put on control orders based on secret evidence.

Good luck with what you’re trying to do. I think it’s terrifying what is being allowed to happen in this country, without anyone taking any notice. Of course the media rarely allows voices of dissent to trickle through, so most people don’t have a clue what is happening.

Why are there no requirements in the Constitution that our President, Vice-President and Cabinet members be sane? We say how old the Pres has to be, but not that they be educated, sane, or even conscious. People elect dead guys in Missouri, what does that say about how people view public office? Are we satisfied that elected leaders need not be sane or even alive? Obama tortures, wages war against women and children, denies the right of habeas corpus, funnels our taxes to friends in high places and denies aid to the poor and homeless. He intends to criminalize poverty by requiring everybody buy insurance, even the people living under bridges. What the heck? What is the penalty in America for being poor, mentally unstable because of wartime experiences, and uninsured?

Why are we feeding, housing, protecting and defending known war criminals, mass murderers, liars, fraudsters and psychotics simply because they fixed an election to take public office? Are the people who aren’t sane that terrified of the crazy ones?

The United States of British America are the most dangerous force in the world. Our government is responsible for more death and destruction than any government in the history of the planet. We initiate wars, we torture, we maim, we lie about everything and we do it for fun and we do it for money. We have vaporized two cities of civilians just to show the world how dangerous we could be. We have re-written history books to teach our children that Amerika saved the world over and over and now stands as the premier force for good and justice as we send unarmed drones to blow up Pakistani children and their parents.

The world has the emotional condition of a battered girlfriend, in denial about the obvious, willing to blame themselves for the violence waged against them, and enabling the aggressor to continue their dangerous habits.

Thanks very much, Kate. Glad to hear that I succeeded in countering some of the specific toxins. That was my intention, although the xenophobes and racists seem to be impervious to reason. I don’t think they’re rattled, sadly; I think instead that they think they’re exploiting weaknesses in the Guardian‘s coverage and are oblivious to the fact that they refuse to engage with the central issues, and spend most of their time exposing their prejudices, which are actually unrelated to what you aptly describe as “the destruction of our centuries old justice system”.

Also, thanks for raising Gareth’s concerns about the increased use of secret evidence, and the extremely worrying, recent and unreported extension of control orders to a number of British nationals, which I hope to cover in the near future.

I thought your article on CiF was excellent and very effective at counteracting the poisonous responses so far. It seems that posters are being even more defensive / offensive than usual (I hope because what they have read disturbs them…)

Might be worth pointing out (for all those who keep banging on about deporting people) that at the moment British citizens — Essex born-and-bred young men — have been “relocated” and kept under control orders but have never been charged with any crime.

Also that Gareth Peirce says she is seeing more and more cases where the entire evidence is secret.

Posters so far seem to be missing the point that it is about the principle of the matter — i.e. what has happened to the five men in the films is just the thin end of the wedge, that it is the destruction of our centuries old justice system, and that if we let this go now, we will all be vulnerable to arbitrary justice.

Keep up the good work!

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