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So the Iranians lined the 15 British sailors up against the wall, blindfolded them, and loudly cocked their rifles. They spent two weeks in isolation subjected to constant psychological pressure, random interrogation, and rough handling. They were stripped, given pajamas, and forced to sleep in stone cells on piles of blankets.
There was no consular contact, or formal charges. After intense pressure, they were forced to confess their imaginary crimes. They were then given a small bag of goodies, some cheap suits, and released with a handshake from Ahmadinejad.
There was a time, not so long ago, when there would have been some minor consequences for these shenanigans. Maybe even a strong word or two at the Security Council. Some eager tit from the State Department would complain that civilized people don't 'do' torture, arbitrary detention, and forced confession. Sure, someone would point out the hypocrisy and Noam Chomsky would mention Guatemala, but a surprising number of people around the world would have regarded it as a statement of an American ideal.
Just because America doesn't follow its own values, it doesn't mean that those values are wrong.
This time, all I hear on CNN is genuine puzzlement that nothing worse happened. There was no water boarding, stress positions, unmuzzled guard dogs, extremes of heat and cold, sleep deprivation, face slapping, punching, kicking, mock executions, starvation, sexual humiliation, threats of rape, threats of violence, threats against their neighbors, or threats against their family. No one mocked their faith. No one was denied pain medication until they capitulated. No one was flown to a secret prison. No one denied that they had ever existed. There were no gag orders as a condition of release. The British were not asked to imprison them for something that is not a crime under British law. There was no pain-of-a-degree-significantly-less-than--that-of-organ-failure applied.
There was little that they experienced that approaches what we routinely, openly, transparently, and unapologetically do to those we ourselves detain. I find it doubtful that the five Iranian diplomats have been treated nearly as well. I can't picture them being given jeans and cheap plastic copies of the Statue of Liberty, and released after meeting a grinning George Bush.
Instead, the released sailors continue to state that they are actually somewhat grateful for how humanely they were treated by the Iranians.
I really wish some eager tit from the State Department would stand up and speak the truth. What the Iranians did was completely wrong. Civilized people don't 'do' torture, arbitrary detention, and forced confession. But it wouldn't take Noam Chomsky to point out that such a statement cuts us vastly more than it does them. We can no longer stand to be seen in the light of our own moral code.
The Iranians have won by demonstrating how hollow our defenses have become. They have shown how easy it would be for them to cause vast problems for us in Iraq, and they have shown how weak Tony Blair has become politically. They have also shown the hollowness of our own ideals.
There was no consular contact, or formal charges. After intense pressure, they were forced to confess their imaginary crimes. They were then given a small bag of goodies, some cheap suits, and released with a handshake from Ahmadinejad.
There was a time, not so long ago, when there would have been some minor consequences for these shenanigans. Maybe even a strong word or two at the Security Council. Some eager tit from the State Department would complain that civilized people don't 'do' torture, arbitrary detention, and forced confession. Sure, someone would point out the hypocrisy and Noam Chomsky would mention Guatemala, but a surprising number of people around the world would have regarded it as a statement of an American ideal.
Just because America doesn't follow its own values, it doesn't mean that those values are wrong.
This time, all I hear on CNN is genuine puzzlement that nothing worse happened. There was no water boarding, stress positions, unmuzzled guard dogs, extremes of heat and cold, sleep deprivation, face slapping, punching, kicking, mock executions, starvation, sexual humiliation, threats of rape, threats of violence, threats against their neighbors, or threats against their family. No one mocked their faith. No one was denied pain medication until they capitulated. No one was flown to a secret prison. No one denied that they had ever existed. There were no gag orders as a condition of release. The British were not asked to imprison them for something that is not a crime under British law. There was no pain-of-a-degree-significantly-less-than--that-of-organ-failure applied.
There was little that they experienced that approaches what we routinely, openly, transparently, and unapologetically do to those we ourselves detain. I find it doubtful that the five Iranian diplomats have been treated nearly as well. I can't picture them being given jeans and cheap plastic copies of the Statue of Liberty, and released after meeting a grinning George Bush.
Instead, the released sailors continue to state that they are actually somewhat grateful for how humanely they were treated by the Iranians.
I really wish some eager tit from the State Department would stand up and speak the truth. What the Iranians did was completely wrong. Civilized people don't 'do' torture, arbitrary detention, and forced confession. But it wouldn't take Noam Chomsky to point out that such a statement cuts us vastly more than it does them. We can no longer stand to be seen in the light of our own moral code.
The Iranians have won by demonstrating how hollow our defenses have become. They have shown how easy it would be for them to cause vast problems for us in Iraq, and they have shown how weak Tony Blair has become politically. They have also shown the hollowness of our own ideals.