Finally, The Truth Comes Out

It is astounding that he can go on national television and spew such garbage on the same day that Susan Crawford admits that she had to dismiss charges against a Gitmo detainee because he had been tortured. The level of disconnect is amazing. He truly has created his own reality, and the people around him have fed and supported it. It’s like he’s been living in his own version of “The Truman Show” for the past 8 years.I fervently hope that there are some people in Washington with enough cojones to see that this pathetic and delusional little man and his equally pathetic and delusional second in command are prosecuted for these crimes. Our standing in the eyes of the world depends upon it.

I have mixed feelings about this. I am against torture as a means of punishing war prisoners. I don’t believe there is a nation in this world who was not guilty of that at some point in the last 300 years.But when I think of what I’d like to do to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, especially if I felt he was withholding info critical to the safety of my nation…I don’t know.We all like to ride our high horse, especially when we are totally clueless as to all the facts pertaining to a particular case, and the accompanying decisions and emotions involved.I am aware of all the Jack Bauer comparisons out there, and the fact is, you don’t need a Jack Bauer scenario to “consider” the use of water boarding or other interrogation methods.Real life is stranger than fiction, and these fuckers want to bring a little bit of their special reality into your world. What are you gonna do? Wring your hands in anxiety because you’re too special and highhanded to resort to something that may or may not protect REAL people?My experience; it’s EASY to judge another’s actions from a distance. We’re all very good at that. It’s a whole different world when you’re talking about real people dying by the thousands, hundreds, or dozens at a time. In George Bush’s case, if it happens it’s his fault, he’s responsible.That’s what these fuckers do for a living. They don’t give a shit about you, your spouse, or your children. You’re all just another “political” statement to them. The more of you they can kill, the more “service to god” they are giving. You’ll NEVER negotiate it out of them, nor win them over. Their is no compromising their religion and what they are capable of because of it. They’d just as soon kill you as look at you. Along with you, they’d like to take out about fifty thousand of your friends and family, because there is no greater achievement to them than the mass slaughter of people in the name of god.That is why I’m torn. These fuckers only have to get it right once. Even luck is on their side. We have to stop them every single time they attempt something.This isn’t a playground fight. These fuckers don’t send letters letting you know what they are about to do. They only claim responsibility AFTER they have done it, when it’s too late. So there’s NOT EVER going to be any Jack Bauer scenarios. If you want to stop them, you have to stop them BEFORE the plan has begun.After they have succeeded, then we all want to know why our leaders didn’t do more to protect us. You can’t have it both ways in this world. Maybe in Utopia you can, but in this world, real fuckers want to kill you for no better reason than you exist.I’m not saying torture is right. I’m not saying it works all of the time. I am asking, who amongst us is not going to ask our leaders why they didn’t do more to protect us the next time it happens? Why didn’t they do everything they could to protect us?In fact, after 9/11, once the investigation began, that is exactly what happened. We all wanted to know why our government failed us.The answer is that they didn’t have enough corroborating intelligence to move. Yes, Government agencies didn’t work together, but in the end, it’s ALWAYS due to a lack of information that allows terrorists to succeed. Always.

Not only did they change the definition of torture, they scared Congress into giving him the authority to order it on his say-so alone in one of those “Hurry Up! They’re ON THE LAWN! THEY’RE GONNA GET US! THEY’RE AT THE DOOR! HURRY!” Make Something Illegal Legal stunts that he can always get Congress to agree to.I know it’s not a good analogy, but you can see the weakness of their (The Right’s) arguments by the way they respond to them legislatively. They knew that what they were doing was on shaky legal ground, in spite of their blustery “The Constitution allows the President to ignore the Constitution” bullshit response to any challenge. The Fix: Force Congress to change the law to work for them and then keep anyone from challenging it. I think the same applies to same-sex marriage. Supreme Courts of various states keep handing down decisions that decide (Bushism!) current law does not prevent gays from marrying. Solution: Change the law/Constitution to say that marriage is between one man and one woman while arguing that the law doesn’t allow gays to get married in it’s current form, activist judges, too flexible, also.@politicalI’m not saying torture is right. I’m not saying it works all of the time. I am asking, who amongst us is not going to ask our leaders why they didn’t do more to protect us the next time it happens? Why didn’t they do everything they could to protect us?We want them to do everything they can do, but legally. That’s their problem, Political, they don’t want to take the time to do it right. Instead they want to just hand down their own decisions, backed up by hand-picked legal advisers that pretty much state they can do whatever they want.That’s why we have a Congress, a President, and a Supreme Court. These matters are not supposed to be decided quickly or by one man. It’s supposed to be a slow deliberative process so that power is not concentrated in one branch or man. In times of need, they’ve shown their ability to act quickly. What the Bush team has always wanted, however, is for everyone to remember “we don’t need your fucking permission to do anything!” In their view, the executive is superior to all others and just get the fuck out of their way.That’s just not how it’s supposed to be done here.

I may be wrong on this, but think the current US Republicans are the only major political movement in history to explicitly endorse torture.Other political movements have USED torture, but mostly denied it. But here we have pundits and politicians on the US right more or less explicitly saying it can be good and useful.That this is even tolerated and that this discussion is actually serious is proof of not only how far to the right the perceived middle ground in the US has swung, but how debased the Republican party is at this point in history.

A small point, but: Bush refers to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as “Khalik.” Can’t even get THAT right.

PPP: It’s a slippery slope. You’re thinking that there are situations that justify the use of torture. The problem with that is the definition of those situations.Is it okay if it saves thousands of lives?If so, how about hundreds?If hundreds, then is it okay to save a dozen?If a dozen, then it must be okay to save one life, right?How about not to save a life, but to prevent harm to someone?You see where this is going, right? Any country, regime, or organization can then justify using torture, because, Gee, it’s really important that we get our way.No. Using evil techniques for any cause makes us evil too.

Alan,I understand. But it has nothing to do with getting our way. Still, I can see your point. I just don’t think it’s that black and white.This is a decision for the international community to take up, not the United States. Just as the Geneva convention is understood and legislated internationally, so should the issue of waterboarding be. If that means Bush and Cheney are prosecuted, so be it.That said, if I’m Bush, I’m not so sure i don’t waterboard Mohammed, knowing what we know about their creed. It’s the same reason i wouldn’t take bin Laden alive under any circumstances; because i would not give him the right of using his voice internationally, and i would not allow him any chance, or one last chance, to issue orders using our microphones.I respect your position, Alan, I understand it. But my experience tells me it falls short in a very imperfect world.I would also say that this is one issue that born in the wool Christians would agree with you guys 100%. I’m not talking the Right, I’m talking the people who try to live the way the christ of the bible did. They would agree with you.