It is what it is.

Slate on why torture lawyers are a lot like Stewart. Except, of course, no one's gone after them.

I'm reading a repulsively dense book on the theory of language and power. The book starts off on theories that are completely unfamiliar to me regarding the idea of a dominant language and a dominated language. Anyway, eventually the author works to the idea that there is a power of the dominant class that gives them the authority to say particular things. The author points out that it is difficult to tell whether the authoritative words of a person are true as they exist, or are true because they become true once spoken by the right people. Reading this Slate article about how these torture attorneys say the law is what it is, that's what comes to mind. Does the law actually say that? Or does the law now say it because you said it does, and people in this country are willing to be dominated by you?