The prisoner abuse scandal is revolting and reflects poorly on the United States. In an interesting piece in the Boston Globe, Cathy Young shows how the scandal (or at least the reaction to it) also, "in a perverse way," demonstrates how great a country America is.

"It is almost as much of a cliche--and equally true--to say that this story reveals, in a perverse way, the strength of American democracy," Young writes. "Under Hussein, torture (far more extreme than anything done by the American soldiers) was the normal way of doing things. Under American rule, it is a scandal that calls for punishment for the culprits, a contrite speech by the president of the United States, and many voices urging the resignation of the secretary of defense. Under the American occupation, Iraqis can gather outside the prison to protest the abuse. Under Hussein, even whispering about it to friends and family was dangerous."