Yeah, that was my take, too.
James did not lose any credibility with fair-minded people by being specific.
As for the “magical thinking” accusation: I get that many enjoy using it as a supposed illustration of What Stupid People Do. They find it satisfying and fun to make that accusation.
But it virtually never applies; it’s nearly always misused. For example:
Republicans did not harangue Democrats for not saying “Radical Islamic Terrorism” because they believed that those were Magic Words that would magically change the world. Instead, Republicans urged Democrats to say the words because they knew that saying them would harm Dems politically.
Nothing “magic” involved.
So when Armenians tried for decades to get the United States* (and other nations) to officially call actions against them a “genocide”—they were (and are) being silly?
Urging some powerful figure or entity to say certain words is, according to you, “silly” and “dumb.”
This is not a respectable position. You appear to be dug in on it. You may like the way it makes you feel.
But it’s not an effective or reasonable position.
In many instances in history, particular words spoken by people in power have made a significant difference in the course of events.
Ignoring this does you no credit.
Garland would make a real difference in the way Trump defenders/enablers think, and in the actions they take, if he would abandon the generic “no one” and specify, at the least, a class of usually-privileged people (such as Senators, Governors, and Presidents) as not being above the law.
/ * The US finally did recognize the mass killing and deportation of Armenians as a “genocide.” Apparently we agreed that the word was not a Magical one—but instead a meaningful one.
As most words are.
https://www.armenian-genocide.org/recognition_countries.html