Let's (not) talk about torture
Because really, what could be more fun for a Saturday morning?
As I'm sure you've noticed, there's been a lot of news about the Bush Torture Bill and the "rebel" republican senators McCain and company. Surly little Chimpy said he won't keep smoking out terrorists if he's not allowed to violate the constitution and torture at will.
First, of course, that would be fine. It's not like I believe that whatever horrible things that they're doing in our name in their secret prisons (which, btw, always make me think of that oil brig that Nic Cage escapes from in Face Off) are really producing any reliable or pertinent information. It's not like their shitty, mean, illegal programs are doing anything but killing people and making us enemies. So, like, ok, pack up your instruments of torture and go home.
But moving on, that's clearly not a real option, and so we get this "debate" about the treatment of "terrorists." But they're not fucking terrorists. They're terror suspects. And that means that they're innocent until proven guilty, just like everyone else. Remember that. Every time they talk about whatever poor or bad or angry or extremist fuckers they've got such a hard-on to waterboard, remember that these are men that have been convicted of nothing. Bush is trying to erase that line for you - the same way he erases that line when he talks of his terrorist surveillance program (aka illegal wiretapping). They have created an environment where merely being suspected of something (suspected of something and then brought to a secret place and then tried using secret evidence and coerced testimony) is reason enough to strip someone of their human rights. So that's like... a problem.
Furthermore, however you may feel about what we can or can't do to people who may or may not be involved in terrorist activities, there was no fucking need for this debate. Who brought it up? Who "rebelled"? Who started talking about needing "clarity"? It was an entirely republican issue, conceived of and displayed by republicans. There was no precipitating event. There was no pressing need. It was just another distraction from war. Wars. Another way to push Iraq into the background. More then that, it was another way to keep terrorism in the headlines. Another week goes by that the republicans are controlling the news cycle. That is all they're doing, folks. Trying to control every news cycle until the election. Another week where all the news is about terror and Bush and strength and fear. They fucking told us they were going to run this election on terrorism, and that is exactly what they are doing. And it's working.
Lastly, the "compromise" is a load of fucking horse shit that guts any idea we may have had about living in a just society controlled by the rule of law. Bend over and kiss your habeas corpus goodbye.
As I'm sure you've noticed, there's been a lot of news about the Bush Torture Bill and the "rebel" republican senators McCain and company. Surly little Chimpy said he won't keep smoking out terrorists if he's not allowed to violate the constitution and torture at will.
First, of course, that would be fine. It's not like I believe that whatever horrible things that they're doing in our name in their secret prisons (which, btw, always make me think of that oil brig that Nic Cage escapes from in Face Off) are really producing any reliable or pertinent information. It's not like their shitty, mean, illegal programs are doing anything but killing people and making us enemies. So, like, ok, pack up your instruments of torture and go home.
But moving on, that's clearly not a real option, and so we get this "debate" about the treatment of "terrorists." But they're not fucking terrorists. They're terror suspects. And that means that they're innocent until proven guilty, just like everyone else. Remember that. Every time they talk about whatever poor or bad or angry or extremist fuckers they've got such a hard-on to waterboard, remember that these are men that have been convicted of nothing. Bush is trying to erase that line for you - the same way he erases that line when he talks of his terrorist surveillance program (aka illegal wiretapping). They have created an environment where merely being suspected of something (suspected of something and then brought to a secret place and then tried using secret evidence and coerced testimony) is reason enough to strip someone of their human rights. So that's like... a problem.
Furthermore, however you may feel about what we can or can't do to people who may or may not be involved in terrorist activities, there was no fucking need for this debate. Who brought it up? Who "rebelled"? Who started talking about needing "clarity"? It was an entirely republican issue, conceived of and displayed by republicans. There was no precipitating event. There was no pressing need. It was just another distraction from war. Wars. Another way to push Iraq into the background. More then that, it was another way to keep terrorism in the headlines. Another week goes by that the republicans are controlling the news cycle. That is all they're doing, folks. Trying to control every news cycle until the election. Another week where all the news is about terror and Bush and strength and fear. They fucking told us they were going to run this election on terrorism, and that is exactly what they are doing. And it's working.
Lastly, the "compromise" is a load of fucking horse shit that guts any idea we may have had about living in a just society controlled by the rule of law. Bend over and kiss your habeas corpus goodbye.
posted by chiniqua at 12:20 PM
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