And it leaves us not only open to condemnation but at a place where we cannot condemn others!!
ANP: Lawyers who approved "enhanced interrogation tactics" are under increasing pressure to explain them
American News Project: Reporter's Notebook: Ten Lessons from Recent Torture Hearings - The "enhanced interrogation tactics, " used in Guantanamo under orders from the Pentagon and the White House have been the subject of numerous hearings on Capitol Hill recently. The lawyers who approved the policies--which many call torture--are under increasing pressure to explain how it was possible for such methods to be ordered by the United States government. More hearings are on the way.
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Terror And The Unraveling Of America's Moral Fabric
The war on terrorism has had devastating social and political costs, and it is the United States government — not foreign enemies — that has caused much of the damage, says investigative journalist Jane Mayer.
Mayer's new book is The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals. In it, The New Yorker writer contends that the policy implemented after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks promoted an agenda that sought to increase presidential power. Further, many of the Bush administration's strategy decisions violated the Constitution and impeded the pursuit of terrorists.
SNIP: Read the rest at link, also listen to discussion there as well
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2 comments:
James, Jany Mayer wrote an excellent piece a few years back..
(http://bloggerroundtable.blogspot.com/2006/06/time-line-part-one-alberto-j-moras.html - I wrote about it during the bloggers against torture time)
the sad thing about torture is that it will go on until the next President will openly condemn it and put it in the illegal category where it IS and belongs and needs to stay.
As you said, you cannot condemn anyone for using the same tactics.. and what about if they use the same tactics on your own people? It is wrong all around.
Of course, I cannot help but remember the many history lessons I had growing up in the Netherlands where we learned PLENTY about torture. I'm not just talking about the Nazi occupation but the 80yr war Holland had against catholic Spain (Inquisition anyone??)..
I cannot imagine being the person inflicting torture on another..but then..social scientists have explained how easily that was accomplished, see my may 30th post;
http://bloggerroundtable.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_archive.html
Ingrid
Sadly it will happen, but if especially a Country resorts to it as policy while condemning others they show their total collapse as a leader in human rights, empty words, and the blowback grows not diminishes!
Any who practice torture, which has no benefits, should be condemned and tried for their actions, to Minimize the numbers of those who would!
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