The Torture Bill Makes All Americans Morally Culpable
Thought for the day:
Can't the United States see that when we allow someone to be tortured by our agents, it is not only the victim and the perpetrator who are corrupted, not only the "intelligence" that is contaminated, but also everyone who looked away and said they did not know, everyone who consented tacitly to that outrage so they could sleep a little safer at night, all the citizens who did not march in the streets by the millions to demand the resignation of whoever suggested, even whispered, that torture is inevitable in our day and age, that we must embrace its darkness?
The "compromise" reached between the administration and the GOP "dissidents" to codify torture of detainees transforms an abusive program that could be attributed to the overzealousness of a limited number of terror-fighters into a state sanctioned policy conducted in the name of all Americans.
Can't the United States see that when we allow someone to be tortured by our agents, it is not only the victim and the perpetrator who are corrupted, not only the "intelligence" that is contaminated, but also everyone who looked away and said they did not know, everyone who consented tacitly to that outrage so they could sleep a little safer at night, all the citizens who did not march in the streets by the millions to demand the resignation of whoever suggested, even whispered, that torture is inevitable in our day and age, that we must embrace its darkness?
The "compromise" reached between the administration and the GOP "dissidents" to codify torture of detainees transforms an abusive program that could be attributed to the overzealousness of a limited number of terror-fighters into a state sanctioned policy conducted in the name of all Americans.
posted by Effwit at 9:39 AM
6 Comments:
God, what a very sad day for America and the world... exponentially sadder than 9/11...
America is now the best-armed thug on the planet...
Dena
Dena:
The really bad thing about this is that the American public -- by and large -- is not disturbed by the depths to which the country has fallen.
They either pay no attention to current events or cannot be bothered to care.
That's why the Democrats didn't risk speaking up during the torture "debate." They didn't want to look like weaklings to the voting public.
Yes, I agree.. that is the really bad thing... just like in pre-WWII Germany it was the really bad thing that everyone went along to get along... Hitler + friends couldn't have done it by himself and neither can Bush + friends... You get the gov't you deserve...
My mind boggles at the idea that the Democrats didn't want to risk looking like "weaklings" by speaking up --- Because that's exactly what they look like to me because they didn't speak up... Let's face it -- it's a one-party gov't... I just hope Canada isn't Poland...
Dena
Dena:
I just hope Canada isn't Poland...
I doubt that we will try anything as long as Harper is in office.
I shudder to think would would be happening if Martin was still PM. Or worse, Chrétien. Or worst case scenario, someone like Trudeau.
Harper isn't going to be in office for long. He'll be out by next Spring with any luck... I only wish we did have someone like Trudeau....
Dena
Dena:
Glad to hear that. With any luck you won't get someone even worse. Entropy being what it is, you know.
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