Waterboarding is torture.
In fact, this was demonstrated in 1947 when the United States tried and convicted Yukio Asano, a Japanese officer, for the crime of waterboarding American prisoners during World War II. So, for anyone to say that it is not torture, that person is someone who has a rather tenuous grasp on not only our nation's history, but reality as well.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about waterboarding is that it was developed during the time of The Inquisition where godly, self-righteous Christians roamed the countryside murdering, torturing and terrorizing the citizenry. To think that we have pulled such an inhumane tactic from the blood-soaked playbook of the Catholics makes me realize that perhaps our nation is, in fact, a "Christian" nation after all.
It's clear that George Bush has backed himself into a corner when it comes to the tactic of torture. He claims that we, as a country, do not torture; yet they also endorse and admit to waterboarding which, as is proven by the Asano case mentioned above --as well as a myriad of other sources--, is defined as torture.
I was thinking about this as the story of Bush's latest little puppet, Michael Mukasey, was running across the airwaves earlier. I found it somewhat fascinating that the woefully impotent Democrats should even have to ask what this man's stance on waterboarding is. He's a lawyer and a judge. He of all people should know the legal definition of torture and how waterboarding is included in that definition. As someone who is apparently sworn to uphold and respect the law, he certainly doesn't seem to be all that enthusiastic when it comes to carrying out that law.
So, we are left with two options:
We either exonerate and strike the records clean of Yukio Asano and every single war criminal we've convicted based upon the tactics that our nation currently employs in going about its torture. Or, we do the right thing. We do the just thing. We bring those who have embraced and ordered this illegal torture to justice and see that their punishments are fitting and never forgiven. George Bush, our "Little Disaster" and his cohorts are, by our nation's own definition, war criminals. I don't see how you can view it any other way. How can we condemn someone as a criminal for doing that which we ourselves are guilty of?
I don't really think we'll get an answer to that question, but it would be nice.
Personally, I think President Bush derives some sort of sick, sexual pleasure from the notion of being allowed to torture and subsequently exert his power over his victims like a common, garden-variety rapist. The man has no value for human life, and to him, death and suffering seem to be the order of the day. And, he laughs and smirks and dances as all around him, people are dying or selling-out their humanity or living with whatever fear springs from his forehead. I think he feels that war is a fun thing, and every president should have one. And, he's using the lives of our nation's children to help line the pockets of those close to him.
Perhaps that's why Mukasey, a judge, has somehow forgotten what the law is. Maybe that's why Gonzales couldn't remember a damn thing. I suppose when your integrity goes, your sense of decency is soon to follow, and you'll pretty much do anything to cover your crimes.
Unfortunately, we'll probably never really know the depths of this incompetent administration's corruption. Then again, if waterboarding isn't considered a crime anymore, I guess the truth could easily be had.
Anyone got a hose?
-DP
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Posted By Dan to The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind at 11/06/2007 09:09:00 PM
Ha! Great entry! Lets see...I say hmmm maybe we should let him go & see how pathetic he will get & just let him self-destruct himself! Then again we could always use his techniques on him at some point & it would not be torture right! HA! I think he is a little boy playing with his toy soldiers & no one else will play with him so he just stumps on all of them.
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK we know your government doesn't torture people (unless its in your own country), our government have confirmed that under no circumstances have torture flights ever stopped in UK, honest guvnor, would we lie to you!!
ReplyDeleteI worry so for all prisoners now. My uncle died as a teenager POW in Korea. It helped me to know that maybe just may be he didn't get tortured, cuz all the countries supposedly agreed not to torture. But, sheesz, if we're going to torture, only the conscience of the person in another country who has our soldiers as prisoners would keep them from torturing back, I would imagine.
ReplyDeleteThis really bothers me, and I feel as if most of us are at a loss for changing it (except on an election day where we actually have someone to vote for or against, i.e., no elections for me this past Tuesday).
Snow boarding and surf boarding as SO much more fun.....