Quote for the Day
The more I read about what's going on around us and our actions around the world, I am reminded of this quote, attributed to Sinclair Lewis: "When fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."
After WW2 ended, the United States characterized Japanese wartime use of "water boarding" as torture. But apparently it's only torture when our enemies do it. When we do it, it's called an "alternative interrogation method".
How do we EVER justify torture? I just don't understand it. According to experts, it doesn't work a means of gathering useful intelligence, we lose our moral authority and it leaves our our soldiers and civilians subject to the same in retaliation.
One would think at least the Democrats in or running for Congress would stand up for what is right, and not cave in and go along with legitimizing torture, but it's an election year and as usual, the Democrats are letting the fear-mongering Republicans frame the debate as if anyone who is morally (and rightly, in my opinion) opposed to torture is somehow "soft on terror".
Aren't we as a Nation supposed to be more "civilized"? Aren't we supposed to be just? Aren't we supposed to govern and conduct our affairs by reason rather than inflamed passions?
I'm astounded when I hear a neighbor of mine, a Church-going man who professes to be a Christian, say things like "we ought to kill 'em all [Iraqis]" along with other vitriol that sounds like it came straight out of a FoxNews script. I'm wondering where in the New Testament Jesus called for the genocide of entire countries, because I sure don't remember that scripture in the Gospels. Of course, it didn't matter to the Nazis, who cynically used Christianity to justify their criminal reign.
And the Gulf coast communities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still in ruins in many places, while we spend $2 Billion each week in Iraq. The Iraq war is formenting more terrorism and a majority of Iraqis don't want us there. So why don't we start the redeployment now? Yes, there is a civil war going on in Iraq because we have not been able to keep the peace, but there would be a civil war in Iraq whether we stay for a year or 10 years. For how long do we "stay the course" when doing so only seems to make matters worse by drawing foreign jehadists into Iraq to add to the terror already faced during the civil war between Iraqis? The United States troops are a focal point of resentment and anger and with all the money spent and wasted on big government contractors who shelter themselves within the fortified Green Zone, we can't seem to provide the basic necessities for our troops in the line of fire.
Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan, the Taliban are rebuilding, the Opium trade is florishing and keeping terror networks flush with cash. Al Qaeda is there, on the fringes on the border while the Government of Pakistan, our supposed ally in the "war on terror", turns a blind eye to their presence and may actively be harboring them. And yet, our President and his Administration and his lackeys in Congress are fixated on Iraq - with sights on Iran. And some of our troops are stop-lossed and serving their second, third or forth tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, after they were told they were done there.
What happened to our priorities?
After WW2 ended, the United States characterized Japanese wartime use of "water boarding" as torture. But apparently it's only torture when our enemies do it. When we do it, it's called an "alternative interrogation method".
How do we EVER justify torture? I just don't understand it. According to experts, it doesn't work a means of gathering useful intelligence, we lose our moral authority and it leaves our our soldiers and civilians subject to the same in retaliation.
One would think at least the Democrats in or running for Congress would stand up for what is right, and not cave in and go along with legitimizing torture, but it's an election year and as usual, the Democrats are letting the fear-mongering Republicans frame the debate as if anyone who is morally (and rightly, in my opinion) opposed to torture is somehow "soft on terror".
Aren't we as a Nation supposed to be more "civilized"? Aren't we supposed to be just? Aren't we supposed to govern and conduct our affairs by reason rather than inflamed passions?
I'm astounded when I hear a neighbor of mine, a Church-going man who professes to be a Christian, say things like "we ought to kill 'em all [Iraqis]" along with other vitriol that sounds like it came straight out of a FoxNews script. I'm wondering where in the New Testament Jesus called for the genocide of entire countries, because I sure don't remember that scripture in the Gospels. Of course, it didn't matter to the Nazis, who cynically used Christianity to justify their criminal reign.
And the Gulf coast communities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still in ruins in many places, while we spend $2 Billion each week in Iraq. The Iraq war is formenting more terrorism and a majority of Iraqis don't want us there. So why don't we start the redeployment now? Yes, there is a civil war going on in Iraq because we have not been able to keep the peace, but there would be a civil war in Iraq whether we stay for a year or 10 years. For how long do we "stay the course" when doing so only seems to make matters worse by drawing foreign jehadists into Iraq to add to the terror already faced during the civil war between Iraqis? The United States troops are a focal point of resentment and anger and with all the money spent and wasted on big government contractors who shelter themselves within the fortified Green Zone, we can't seem to provide the basic necessities for our troops in the line of fire.
Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan, the Taliban are rebuilding, the Opium trade is florishing and keeping terror networks flush with cash. Al Qaeda is there, on the fringes on the border while the Government of Pakistan, our supposed ally in the "war on terror", turns a blind eye to their presence and may actively be harboring them. And yet, our President and his Administration and his lackeys in Congress are fixated on Iraq - with sights on Iran. And some of our troops are stop-lossed and serving their second, third or forth tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, after they were told they were done there.
What happened to our priorities?