“They’ve Already Won”

It was some time ago that I referenced this incredible scene from the 1998 film, The Siege, starring Denzel Washington and Annette Benning. The Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan found the clip on YouTube:

The transcript of the scene, featuring Washington (FBI Agent Anthony Hubbard), Benning (CIA Agent Elise Kraft) and Bruce Willis (General William Devereaux), is below.

Anthony ‘Hub’ Hubbard: Are you people insane? What are you talkin’ about?

General William Devereaux: The time has come for one man to suffer in order to save hundreds of lives.

Anthony ‘Hub’ Hubbard: One Man? What about two, huh? What about six? How about public executions?

General William Devereaux: Feel free to leave whenever you like, Agent Hubbard.

Anthony ‘Hub’ Hubbard: Come on General, you’ve lost men, I’ve lost men, but you - you, you *can’t* do this! What, what if they don’t even want the sheik, have you considered that? What if what they really want is for us to herd our children into stadiums like we’re doing? And put soldiers on the street and have Americans looking over their shoulders? Bend the law, shred the Constitution just a little bit? Because if we torture him, General, we do that and everything we have fought, and bled, and died for is over. And they’ve won. They’ve already won!

General William Devereaux: Escort him out.

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October 6, 2008