The Torture President
Immediately after 9/11, Colin Powell said the terrorists were clearly engaged in a war on civilization itself. Soon after, as secretary of State, he prophetically warned the president — and the lawyers drafting and justifying “torture memos” in the Justice Department — that this country’s rejecting the Geneva Conventions and our own laws on the treatment of terrorism-related prisoners would “undermine public support among critical allies, making military cooperation more difficult to sustain.” Increasingly, as Powell predicted, while the president strongly insists that the CIA be allowed to continue practicing what Bush calls “its specialized interrogations” in its secret prisons, and “renditions” (kidnapping Europeans to be tortured elsewhere), we have lost the trust and respect of many our allies’ citizens.
Significant, moreover, is the refusal of FBI Director Robert Mueller to permit his agents to engage in such “coercive” CIA-style interrogations that often involve torture.
Also opposing the tortured use of language by high officials of the administration to disguise this lawless treatment of prisoners, which would make any such “evidence” thrown out of our federal courts, are Gen. David Petraeus and Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Nonetheless, on March 8, George W. Bush vetoed a bill that includes a mandate that there be a single standard of interrogation by all our forces — very intentionally including the CIA.
As a result of Bush’s veto, the United States, by validating torture as a tool of interrogation, has become a less civilized nation. The bill the president disdained (thereby staining his legacy) would have made the Army Field Manual the standard of all interrogations. Among the practices it prohibits are: placing hoods or sacks over prisoners’ heads (as in CIA “renditions”); exposing them to extreme heat or cold (as often reported); and waterboarding (as disclosed about CIA prisoners at “black sites”), a procedure that makes the prisoner believe he is about to drown — and he will drown if it’s not stopped.
The CIA has finally admitted it has used waterboarding, and though it claims it no longer does, the White House says that this “specialized interrogation” remains potentially permissible in future interrogations.
John McCain has called waterboarding an “exquisitely” painful torture, but he voted against making the Army Field Manual the standard for interrogations, thereby giving cover to some of the members of Congress who joined him to support the president. Why criticize them when the Republican presidential nominee has been the icon of those, in and out of our military, who oppose torture? This human rights status for McCain has now been tarnished badly.
In contrast to McCain’s current stance, there has been continuing strong support of including the Army Field Manual in the CIA techniques by 31 retired Army, Navy and Marine Corps generals who insist — as Human Rights First reports — that “the United States not sanction the use of interrogation methods it would find unacceptable if inflicted by the enemy against captured Americans.” Documented reports of CIA interrogation methods by human rights organizations, and by both American and overseas reporters, include accounts of barbarous assaults on prisoners that, if practiced on American captives in other countries, would enrage us to demand swift and harsh punishment of the perpetrators.
It has long been evident that the Bush administration, in addition to giving the CIA extra-legal powers, deliberately incarcerated terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay in its belief that the American rule of law would not apply there, any more than in the CIA secret prisons or the torture cells in countries where CIA captives are sent in “renditions.” Currently, as an index of how the CIA has shamed us among our allies, CBS News and the Associated Press reported (March 8 ) that according to Newsweek: “The Canadian government is refusing to use testimony from alleged Al Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah (now at Guantanamo Bay) in its prosecution of two terror suspects, because the testimony was acquired during CIA interrogations in which Zubaydah was waterboarded.” The CIA destroyed videotapes of that “specialized” questioning to hide it from our laws.
Human Rights Watch’s senior terrorism counsel Jennifer Daskal predicts that Bush “will go down in history as the torture president” for his continuing protection of CIA “specialized” procedures. Congressman William Delahunt, D-Mass., adds: “History is going to judge us all” — including the next president if he or she continues to debase our values as we fight the terrorists.
If the president is so convinced he’s right, why doesn’t he demand that Petraeus order his troops in Iraq to discard the Army Field Manual, which the general insists they not stray from as their standard. He strongly rejects the use of torture.
Nat Hentoff is a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights and author of many books, including “The War on the Bill of Rights and the Gathering Resistance” (Seven Stories Press, 2004).
Copyright © 2008 The Sacramento Bee
It’s interesting to note that bush, who considers himself a Christian, ignores the commandment ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Unless of course bush is willing to be tortured, willing to let other countries invade the usa and forceably effect regime change. Unless… ah, you get the point.
Bush is a Christian mainly for political purposes and this is why he easily justifies torture, war, imprisonment, and a lack of aid for people who need it.
Like most market fundamentalists, President Bush saw in his father’s campaigns that Republicans can’t win elections by just talking about tax cuts for the rich and tort reform.
Market fundamentalists are opposed to democracy just as most religious fundamentalists are opposed to democracy. They both don’t want democratic decisions infringing upon their favored market or religious values. This anti-democratic stance is the foundation of the union between market and religious fundamentalists.
Obama will try to talk to religious people about social issues such as helping the poor and respecting God’s creation in order to break this union of rich people and religious people. It shouldn’t be hard to do since religious conservatives and economic conservatives are such an odd couple.
@peace coup
I’m not quite sure that I agree with your contention that religious conservatives and economic conservatives are an odd couple.
The American “WASP” is a sect of Christianity that was largely invented because Catholic prohibitions against usury and for charitable works (just like Islam) got in the way of the advancement of Capitalism. All a Protestant needs is Faith whatever that is, and they can then pursue their greed. So, the Catholics (and Orthodox too) became the poor underclass, working in the mills, and Protestant WASPs, their consciences clear by the requirement that only faith, not action matters, became the capitalist masters.
A large number of ‘Americans’ polled said that torture is “Ok under certain circumstances”. One of these fascists, a retired major general said this in a CNN interview:
“TOM FOREMAN (voice-over): If you could save the life of a soldier, rescue the hostage children; stop the next terrorist bomb by torturing a prisoner for information, would you do it?
JAMES “SPIDER” MARKS, MAJOR GENERAL, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I’d stick a knife in somebody’s thigh in a heartbeat.
This kind of mentality is what is corroding our society. This ‘major general’ has no clue what it means to be an American or what America stands for. If you showed him the Constitution, he probably wouldn’t know what it was. We must do whatever we can to try to condemn this behavior and all other anti-American sentiment. It’s disgusting that some people think torture is ever OK.
“Immediately after 9/11, Colin Powell said the terrorists were clearly engaged in a war on civilization itself.”
Colon should know - he was working for the greatest terrorist the world has ever known.
WTF, Protestantism was created because the Church of Rome had long ago stopped being the Church of Jesus Christ — foolishly, they thought it was worth saving. Had they simply waited until the Enlightment took hold, we could have dumped the entire cult of Yahweh in the ocean.
It’s always easy to believe in a moral position if it’s never tested. For years it cost Americans nothing to say we as a society don’t condone torture, as it’s been comfortably someone else’s problem. Now it’s our problem and a moral position that was supposedly one that defined us as Americans is immediately abandoned by many.
No one in this discussion, including TheLorax, would exclude the use of torture if that’s what it took to free their loved ones. THAT is why most Americans feel that torture is OK under certain circumstances.
The Bush puppet, idiot son and clowinsh tool of the oligarchy, loved by every redneck Xtian klansman, golf, NASCAR, and bloodsport aficionado, is simply catering to the violent animal instincts of his dysfunctional conservative fans.
Torture me, I’ll vote for Ron Paul…and give you the reasons why..and suggest James Inhofe for running mate… oh wait, you better torture me again before that one (:
“The bill the president disdained (thereby staining his legacy…”
Damn, and that legacy thing was going so f**king well, too, after ignoring scores of pre-911 warnings and stuff, and there was all that lying for the illegal invasion/occuaption/millions killed and wounded thing, and that whole transfer of 3 generation of wealth to his “base” thing, and that super New Orleans reaction and recovery thing, and the dismantling of the Constitution/Bill of Rights dealybob, and the complete warping of our Justice Department, and all the illegal spying and No Whatever Lists and outting of CIA agents and…
All that good legacy “stained” by one little “I Heart Torture” bumpersticker…
Hey Nikki- speak for yourself, because I don’t want anyone tortured for any reason, period. As for torturing terrorists to “free your loved ones,” exactly which and how many Americans are being held against their will by anyone anywhere? None. Now how many people are being held against their will BY Americans? Hundreds, Thousands, Millions? Don’t believe the brainwashing game. Your rhetorical line of thinking, which is based only in fantasy presented as the real, is exactly the mental conditioning used to brainwash you and millions of others into buying into the Hegelian model of Thesis/Antithesis/Synthesis (also known as Problem/Reaction/Solution) by the power elite over the last few centuries. This doctrine works as follows: The manipulator wants to have a war and erode your liberty and the best way to do it is to take an easier victim’s rights first, with your consent, thus causing you to waive your own rights. He presents to you the fantasy (antihesis) that he must torture another to save your hypothetically incarcerated loved one (thesis) and so you agree to this fantasy construct in order to actualize the real erosion of your liberty and enable the torturer and warmaker. (synthesis) We experience Hegel’s formula from the opposite point in time from the manipulator, who works out the solution desired first, what reaction will allow his goal to manifest second, and finally constructs a real or fantasy situation to enable your complicit reaction. You are being conned and tricked into letting go of the rational by emotional manipulation of non-existing circumstances. THAT is why most Americans feel that torture is OK under certain circumstances. See also 9-11.
I have a lot of respect (as a progressive and a jazz fan) for Nat Hentoff. I do disagree with him on his anti-abortion stance, but I was shocked to find out during a Google search that he was in support of the invasion of Iraq. Hard to believe that a man of his critical intelligence did not figure out between the theft of the 2000 election and the 2003 invasion of Iraq that Bush and his gang were not to be trusted. I presume that Mr. Hentoff has always been against torture.
Thanks to Nat Hentoff as a civil libertarian. Wish he hadn’t initially supported the illegal invasion of Iraq.
We have a torture president. So?
Although the PBS Frontline documentary on Bush’s War has some significant shortcomings, Part I last night did a very good job of tracing the rivalry between the CIA and the Pentagon at the beginning of the US campaign against the Taliban, and how controversy over the use of torture was right at the heart of that turf battle. Part II is definitely worth a look tonight.
On Henthoff’s larger point about condemning torture in toto - however defined, and however supposedly justified on a case-by-base basis through hypothetical ticking time bomb scenarios - he’s absolutely correct, from both a moral standpoint, a human rights legal standpoint, and from the standpoint of professional interrogation methodology.
Torture is a sin.
Torture is illegal.
Torture is counterproductive in the search for truth.
Garbage in. Garbage out.
Bill from Saginaw
Nikki March 25th, 2008 2:24 pm
No one in this discussion, including TheLorax, would exclude the use of torture if that’s what it took to free their loved ones. THAT is why most Americans feel that torture is OK under certain circumstances.
Horsecrap! For starters, torturing someone isn’t likely to free anyone else. Torturing a person might get them to say what you want them to, but it’s not going to get you any form of ‘truth’ out of a terrorist or anyone else. Most yanks who argue for torture have no clue what they’re asking for. If you think torture is acceptable, then I imagine you’d have no problem with your ‘enemy’ responding in kind?
On January 20, 2005 I flew a red-eye from Las Vegas to Dulles, landing about 7:00 a.m. About an hour later I half stumbled into the early morning light out of Union Station, looked around to get my bearings, spotted the Capitol Building and began to walk along the crowed avenue in that direction. I was wearing blue jeans, a baseball cap that read “Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Club” and a loosely fitting, brightly colored gore-tex ski parka.
I had passed through no security whatsoever since Las Vegas. I had ridden a bus, the Metro and then walked out onto the streets. I didn’t have a schedule or a map. I was carrying a medium sized camera case that could easily have held weapons or a big enough bomb to have created mayhem. There was room under my parka for a major vest bomb.
I wandered past men in dark overcoats with wives in $400,000 fur coats and Texas accents toward the front of the Capitol. I was there to join in the demonstration demanding impeachment put on by Ramsey Clark at 4th and Pennsylvania. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I would figure it out eventually.
The next thing I knew I was standing in the VIP line for the Capitol bleachers right next to Congressman Duncan Hunter and a blond woman in a wheelchair and their assistant, an older black man, who was pushing the wheelchair. We were quite a way along in the queue, and there was a big crowd of VIPs both ahead and behind us. You can see pictures at:
http://inyopro.com/inauguration_trip
My point is that if I could walk to that spot so obviously inappropriately dressed and somewhat disheveled, so could anyone else. At first I was worried about my own safety because the security was so lax. Again, anybody who wanted to do some damage with a suicide bombing could have easily done so.
After that experience I simply don’t believe in the terrorists. They are not there people. It is a Big Lie to further rule by fear and not much else.
Torture President is not quite right - it’s Torture American system. The Dem leadership was well aware of water boarding and they continue to be complicit in everything than Bush has done.
I could equally say Torture Pelosy.
George and Dick don’t worry about torturing prisoners…..they can’t vote !!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week I heard Bush say, again, ‘we are fighting Them there so we dont have to fight them here’. I had to adjust my ears because it sounded like, ‘Bring em on!’
IMPEACH NOW.
What are we waiting for? I am afraid of the answer.
“THE WAR AGAINST CIVILIZATION”
Or, How Bush Is Making America as Uncivilized as Its Enemies
Bush should be congratulated on winning the War Against Civilization.
Let’s see. So far, he’s canceled the civilizing effects of the “quaint” old Geneva Conventions. Check. He’s authorized torture of human beings which used to be anathema to all civilized human beings. Check. And, he’s pretty much eliminated the “checks and balances” in the Constitution designed to prevent tyranny. Check and Check.
Negated the Bill of Rights? Right. Search without warrants? Sealed it. Jail forever without trial or counsel? Nailed it. Presume guilt of everyone? Got it.
What about dishonoring his oath of office, which expressly called for defending the Constitution? At least, I could have sworn that’s what he swore in January 2000. As VP Dick so aptly said though, “So?” In the Bushman’s defense, the Constitution was far too civilized for our own good. We are now living in perilous times unlike any of our prior wars against such puny enemies as Hitler, Tojo and Jefferson Davis. Fighting a tall bearded guy operating out of a cave — now that a real dangerous enemy would could conquer us. He envies our democracy. You know. . . that thing we lost in Florida with all those hanging chads.
What else? Lying, cheating, attacking peremptorily and theft? Some would say even civilized countries do that. Okay. What about invading other countries based upon whim supported by lies and cheats? Oh, that’s more like it. Did it for reasons of coveting and lusting after oil and lucre. Perfect. Bombs away, Bush! That’s the way to win the War against Civilization.
Knowingly killing women and infants who happened to be innocently within the blast radius of dumb or even smart bombs? Heh, heh, heh. Aw, that’s just “collateral damage.” What a civilized word for an uncivilized act. He could have sent in trained troops to minimize the deaths of the innocents, but that would not support the troops, who of course, were there in danger when they shouldn’t have been in the first place. A double dip into the antithesis of civilization.
He fomented or encouraged war between religions, war between ethnic groups and war between races. Hell, he resurrected class warfare; i.e. the uber rich, like him, against everyone else. Yep, he is a real Warrior in all those conflicts, some of which had largely died down over the years. Not so our Bushie; he’s a one man conflagration, a bushfire so to speak.
He doesn’t even need fire. He has shown he can win the War against Civilization just using water. Anyone remember New Orleans? There is nothing so uncivilized as doing nothing while others drown. That’s a unique blow in proving how uncivilized he can be. Blaming the victims? Better yet.
Impoverishing and sickening millions and damaging or destroying both their environment, their health, their savings, their credit and means of making a living? Well, although not technically a necessity of Civilization, such amenities certainly made everyone feel more civilized. So, I suppose we should grant our Crippler-in-Chief those tools too as part of his battles almost won in his practically single handed war against anything that used to represent Civilization such as caring, compromise, cooperation, conciliation, consensus, courtesy, and a conventional Constitution.
Time Magazine ought to do a new cover feature and retire the trophy with an award to George Armstrong Custer, I mean George Bush not just as “Man of the Year,” but “Man of the 21st Century” because it is going to take the rest of the Century to dig us out of the hole his War on Civilization has dug us.
heavyrunner said,”After that experience I simply don’t believe in the terrorists. They are not there people. It is a Big Lie to further rule by fear and not much else.”
I have thought about this fact that the top 1-10% give or take a few, dont have to abide by any laws whether they be moral, or written legality. The rules all seem to be in place for the 90-99% of all people on the planet. These people in the $400k fur coats are in on the joke and is why they seem unworried.
That said, gee maynard, do you think we might have created a few angry terrorists since 9/11…? I want everyone to love us again and realize we, the people, are not our leaders. I dont think “we” as a whole are so innocent anymore. However, our motivating fears are human nature and nobody shouldneeds to get bombed over it.
The Catholic church is bringing back Exorcism. Maybe it needs to do a healing treatment on the leaders of this mess.
Let the meek, the people of the peaceful way, inherit the Earth. These Moonie Repugs need to go live in their mall societies on Mars and leave this heavely place called Earth to the people who will love her and treat her right.
4000. Todays news from Iraq ominous. 1,000+ more by Sept.
So.
call BUSH @ 202.456.1111
the comments likely never make it past the receiving end, but you never know. flood the lines.
congressional switchboard is 202.224.3121. they will connect you to whichever member of congress you desire.
Yes crowbone66: Call the deaf ones, certainly, and then talk to your children about consumer economics, and why buying from multinationals is suicide. We’re all local, we owe it to ourselves to buy local wherever possible, or do without, if possible, do without. For instance, I’d be inclined to keep the internet and loose the monthly cable tv charge. I’d say, do I really need the kids to see Disney World for eight grand, or the Bob Marshall Wilderness for two? Should I buy and read more books, or rent movies? What’s going on? I don’t think Marvin would gaily have admitted that supporting your minders is in your best interests.
Mouse March: Common Dreams should have your piece center column.
Lawlessone: Ditto. Who’d ever forget that line in ‘The Wire,’ where that black Muslim hit man, on a park bench reading beneath a street lamp, in his suit and bow tie, asks his body guard, “Who’s the most dangerous man in American?” His body guard, standing over him defers. He’s got no idea. “Well I’ll tell you who’s the most dangerous man in America. It’s a niggar with a library card.”
On the crossroads John McCain sold the tiny flicker left of his humanity to the devils of the military industrial complex, the Israel Lobby and right wing nut job religious posers who would water board Jesus upon his second coming if they had the chance.
The United States has ALWAYS used torture…this is just the first time anyone has admitted it. I remember the Vietnam conflict when (this was before reporters were
in-bedded) we saw films on the news of Vietcong
“suspects” handcuffed and taken up 100 ft in helicopters and kicked out the door. Ask Native Americans on the trail of tears if freezing to death felt like torture. Ask the kidnapped Africans if spending several weeks crammed in the hold of a ship
as they were sold into slavery felt like torture. Ask the war protesters in the 60’s if spending a week in an 8X5 ft cell (my own personal experience) with 15 other people felt like torture…or if being beaten with lead-cored billy clubs felt like torture.
I could go on…and on…and on…
Waterboarding is chump-change compared to the things these low dogs are willing to perpetrate on their fellow humans. They’ll do anything!
Military torture isn’t the only kind President Bush allows. His “sweeping signature education law” — No Child Left Behind, has tortured multi-hundreds of thousands of students in the states — like Texas, with the most minorities — by (a) allowing state governors to be schmoozed and shamed into raising their “standards” to tortuous heights for many — without proof of the actual need, (b) by allowing exaggeration of U.S. students’ scores compared to those of other countries, without documention of the truth, (c) and without any apparent “accountability” for the dangerous hopelessness, helplessness, despair, anger of students of all ages.
Understandably, the Business Roundtable has been running the U.S. Dept. of (literally, NO) Education. We know the BRT thrives on cutthroat competition, Big Winners and Big Losers, with NO two-way “accountability”!
Ironically, those who excel in Math must learn to be innovative, inventive, to meet the need, while those who are naturally curious, imaginative, creative (Gifts from God, inherited, quirks of the brain, they’re “wired” that way) often have great difficulty with the exactness, the easily-scored higher math.
The BRT’s fingerprints are all over NCLB. Improvement has been forced; real educators with an honest desire to improve education, to improve teaching, would have encouraged better ways of TEACHING ALL students, of TEACHING teachers — not forcing, not punishing, not firing.
They would understand that offering basic,appropriate, passable adult education, literacy, practical vocational training and information to ALL adults who need these services would turn endlessly-poor communities into educated, self-sufficient communities, a great benefit to the communities, their schools, their economy (of course!)
Pres. Bush doesn’t realize that he’s “responsible” for all of the students who have failed, and the presidential candidates seem not to understand that they will “inherit” all of the “one-size-fits-all” (NOT) dropouts, pushouts, non-graduates, as well as the long-lasting disastrous results. What’s their suggestion for the “losers”?
The bushwacker and his bosses, including the so-so viceman are the biggest threat to the survival of mankind ever. The distractions of Spitzer and “hip-hop baby”, Kwame Kilpatrick, no matter how ugly they are, is chicken feed next to our federal thugs. For Cheney to openly admit that he does not care about the needs of the people should be grounds for an arrest and a trial. Did they really get voted in, or are they dick-tators? As an ethical person, I am horrified by these liars and immoral beings that are ruining our world.
“The Torture President”: Let’s just rearrange those three words to get an expression I can really get behind…
The children of privilege see nothing wrong with torture because they will never have it applied to them.
What ever will we do if Georgie runs out of frogs and firecrackers?
there is only one wild card left in the world today and that is why the usa/ israel etc go ape shit over it and that is a country who is NOT completely controlled by the usa owning nukes. If any country fired nukes against another it isn’t the people that are killed it is the business that is out of busines for a long time in that country. GB does not give a shit about people just business. Without some sort of economy the usa can’t wage war.
My point look at Iraq, the USA has not hit one oil rig in all the bombs they have used but daily kill innocent people. A nuke weapon would take out everything.
nikki says “No one in this discussion, including TheLorax, would exclude the use of torture if that’s what it took to free their loved ones. THAT is why most Americans feel that torture is OK under certain circumstances.”
How little you understand me nikki. As an American I would never turn my back on my country for anyone, including my family. I will not make myself a criminal just because another criminal is threatening my family, my friends, or any other person. Saving a life by sacrificing your integrity is not worth it. The moment that you torture, you become the same as the person that you are torturing. The fact that I wouldn’t torture someone is what makes me different then they are. I will imprison, question, and prosecute accordingly but I will not trash my own Constitution or commit a crime just to save someone I care about.
Please do not speak for me.
heavyrunner-
I’m glad you finally figured that out. Welcome to the real world.
BushZarro The Terrorist!
W.M.D.
Nuclear Weapons
Mission Admonished!
Lies
Spies
Shrub Terrorist
Water Boarding
Abu Ghraib
Pet Goat
The
BU__! SH__!
Stops Here!
Surge
Purge
REBOOT!
John McCain has sold his soul for his chance at the presidency. After years of torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese he should know what it meant for him to vote against using the Army Field Manual for ‘humane’ interrogative techniques. He has handed his soul back to the Vietnamese. If you believe in souls there is one missing in John McCain…
America’s experiment with electing (?) a guy they could have a drink with has failed. The guy they elected is an alcoholic and an idiot like most of the guys I used to drink with. As a matter of fact out of all the people I saw in bars there was no one and I mean no one I would want to elect president. Pinheads like George W. Bush are a dime a dozen.
G. W. Bush is just human trash, plain and simple and deserves the unflattering accolades accorded him. What a tragedy it is too have this man involved in the events that make up (and take) so many innocent lives. I wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire…
So what now, America? Still scared of your own shadow? Then elect more of the same or grow a set and believe in yourself and try to undo the damage done by this inhumane, ignorant and inept administration
Just so you noticed, O.I.L. operation Iraqi Liberation, is just under way with at least 50 billion unaccounted for, not to mention what was given to Chalabi, and untold profits from oil and unbid contracts, no telling what the Bushco family has made in unreported earnings, from Saudi Arabia and other of-shore accounts, this family is not worried about torture, 1) they will never serve in any armed forces, 2) well we get the point, preaching to the choir
Now that torture is established as legal, it must be regulated. Manuals must be written, tormentors must be trained and a bureaucracy established to oversee torture. Instruments of torture must be manufactured according to specification. In short, an industry must be established. Next the industry must be privatized so that torture can be conducted at a profit rather than as a drain on resources. Once the industry is privatized, then must come much larger numbers of people to be tortured so that the program can be profitable. Hundreds and thousands then millions - the more who are tortured, the greater the profits. It’s going to be very difficult then to stop the torture one day with so many people taking profits from torture, with so many good families whose livelihoods depend on torturing evil doers.
With the help of broadcast television, it will be no problem to convince Americans of the necessity for a privatized torture industry.
It’s the same as the privatized prison system that sucks in more victims each year for a big profit for Wackenhut, and it’s just like the war on drugs that destroys more lives each year for the profits of the several drug war industries. Neither of these industries can be stopped. Let’s not forget the war industry, with its big profits, that also cannot be halted. More wars, more prisons and now more torture are assured us for a long long time to come.
We’ll be told condescendingly that not everyone has the stomach to defend our liberty and that we must be grateful to those who do the torturing for us. Millions will die in the bloody hells of torture chambers constructed under supervision of consulting experts according to exacting regulation in every little cop station in every little town. That is the dream.
devil -
Although your post hardly deserves a rebuttal, I will say that is exactly the kind of Anti-American sentiment I expect from Conservatives. Many of your words are misspelled and your grammar needs work also. This lack of education always holds hands with Conservatism. Since Conservatism is the practical embodiment of hate, the venom you spit in your post is not surprising.
We are Americans and we do not share your ideals of torture, inhumane treatment, hate, racism, or murder. In fact, we are at war with you. As long as a shred of decency is left in this country, we will resist your ideology of hate.
TheLorax;
Well said with your rebuttal. If I had anything to add it would be to express my doubt that the devil was either in the military or a medic.
Who are we? These litanies are expressed everyday all over america and yet the atrocities continue. Perhaps, we are stupid, or lazy, or afraid, or impotent. Otherwise, certainly these criminals would be impeached.
The phrase “republican christian” is an oxymoron.
The phrase “rich white trash” is not.