Jesse Ventura Lays Waste To Fox And Friends (VIDEO)

My word, Jesse Ventura is basically straight up walking across America from one television news studio to the next, just plain wreckin' whatever fools he finds hanging out there, like he was Caine in Kung Fu or something. Here's a clip of Ventura dispensing his version of street justice to the gaggle of naifs that host Fox And Friends. Brian Kilmeade, who I believe the kids call "the Brown one," is goaded into riling Ventura up on waterboarding, and it doesn't really go well. "If we're not going to be a country that goes by the rule of law when it's convenient or inconvenient then what do we stand for?" Ventura asked. Kilmeade whined back that things are different when "people are on fire" and "buildings are blowing up." Ventura maintains, "I wouldn't torture," properly citing the fact that it produces "baloney."

Oy. Then the Brown one says that his support for torturing the bejeezus out of people will end when "they're dead," which was not a smart thing to say to Ventura. "Really? Have you enlisted? Have you enlisted or are you just talking?... Go walk the walk, don't talk the talk."

Actually, I think we can all agree that having Brian Kilmeade attempt to defend this country in any capacity would be one of the worst ideas imaginable.

[WATCH.]

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Comments

[PDXTransplant]

I think poor wittle Stevie_Doocy was scared out of his brit ches sitting that close to big mean Jesse Ventura. Ha! I wish there was a close up of his face during that whole interview. Ha!! Priceless! I'm glad that Jesse is out speaking up about torture. It's nice to see the arguing on the right keep getting it wrong every time.

[BabblingBrooks]

More imaginings. Interesting! No facts, but lots of imaginings.

I imagine that Jesse Ventura was frightened of Gretchen. He has a violin phobia...

[CaveatMagnusFrater]

...Actuall­y, I think we can all agree that having Brian Kilmeade attempt to defend this country in any capacity would be one of the worst ideas ...

We need cooks in the military, also people to hand out basketballs and towells af forward locations.

[BabblingBrooks]

No, Brian would appear to have no disqualifications for honorable, effective military service, based on what we know.

[brashier]

Other than his age?
Are you suggesting that enlisting in the Armed Forces then cooking and handing out basketballs is something other than honorable/­effective? Wow again.

[keerod76]

Don't mess the Governator!!!

Ooops, wrong Predator-s­tar-turned­-politicia­n.

My bad.

http://balmer.typepad.com/jester/
The Dark Clown of Comedy

[buddydave]

Finally got it to load. Ventura smacking around Kilmeade was even more entertaining than him smacking around Hannity.

The only thing that would have been better is if Ventura turned to Carlson and said, "And as former Governor of Minnesota, I'd like to uninvite you from ever returning to the state, sweetie."

[amaycatbaker]

Jesse is an American hero.

[tailgateshirts]

hes too liberal for real conservatives

[babyboomerorig]

He's never been a real conservative.

He's always been an Independent who doesn't put up with bs from either side. But he sure didn't like Bush's administration.

[buddydave]

I hated him as my governor, but I'm loving his anti-Republican Rampage Tour 2009.

It doesn't take a particularly smart person to wreck right-wingers these days, but it does take some ballz and Jesse's got those in spades.

[HUkid07]

I think he should make more appearances on Fox and then make his way to Morning Joe (Disclaimer: i'm a fan of Morning Joe). Jesse give great credit to the issue being that he served and understands just how torture works (or in some cases, doesn't work).

[blythe9131]

I'd like to see him on Morning Joe as well. I watch MJ everyday, so I'm a fan too, but I want to see Jesse V and Joe S go at it. Joe has the most skewed view on this torture thing.

[luke150]

It is a completely invalid premise to equate being pro torture with being pro America. Kilmeade is a demagogue and Ventura is just dismantling their arguments. If America uses illegal tactics, it has absolutely no moral ground then to go and lecture the world about anything. This is the real damage done to this country by the Bush administration. And when you lose moral ground, you lose diplomatic and political leverage to solve problems. Then the only thing left is to try direct confrontation which was exactly what the Bush/Cheney folks wanted and did. And they tell the people, you see, war was the only way we could go...

[BabblingBrooks]

It's false to equate being anti-torture with being pro-American --or anti-American.
It's false to claim waterboarding is illegal under American law.
It's false to think Jesse Ventura's opinions are valid comments on the law.
It's false to think that terrorists will treat our prisoners well if we treat theirs well--because we have treated them well and it gets you nowhere with terrorists other than make you look weak.
It's false to think that one favors waterboarding our troops because one favors waterboarding a few selected terrorists.

HuffPost is FULL of falsehoods that are accepted here by the majority of posters.

Isn't that interesting and revealing?

[RobinLandseadel]

"It's false to equate being anti-torture with being pro-American"

You have no sense of history. Particularly considering the connection to the pursuit of religious freedoms in this country as it was formed. Waterboarding was a speciality of the Spanish Inquisition. It is exactly what the fourth amendment was all about. I have no idea what you think you're defending, but in terms of this country's history, you are dead wrong.

[InnocentBystander]

The only question I have is, after Ventura dismantled Sean...why did these people think the outcome would be different? If Ventura thinks waterboarding is torture...­you'd think the chickenhawk cheerleaders would fall right in line.

[BabblingBrooks]

It is clear that people think Ventura "dismantled Sean" because they think Ventura dismantled Sean, not because he really did. They just had a discussion, presented their points of view, and neither, near as I can tell, were any more successful at dismantling the other.

People tend to see what they want to around these parts, podner.

[Hawaii5-0]

Just like you, seeing "torture is illegal" is just an opinion. A Texas sheriff was tried and convicted for "torturing" prisoners to get confessions out of them back in 1983. Guess what technique he used? He got a 10 years sentence and that is a fact. Perhaps you can write his atty and use the "torture is illegal is just an opinion" defense.

We either live by the rule of law all the time, not just when it is convenient, or we give it up and forget about the laws because we don't always have to follow them. Then it is the "rule of whatever we fell like doing."

[cjk002]

Wow.

That was a whole parargraph full of nothing.

[RobinLandseadel]

People think that Jesse whupped Hannity because he managed to get that feral hamster to shut up for extended periods of time---usually accepted by Foxheads as a sign of defeat based on Fox's own rules of engagement.

You wouldn't last ten seconds with Jesse.

[Polly]

Thank you Jesse!!! You are totally right, who are we as Americans if we only abide by our laws when it is easy. I wish I could say it as well as you Jesse.

[2008FedUP]

All FOX showmancers should enlist and leave tonight for the "necessary" war. Rush included. Now that would be lovin' your country.

[BabblingBrooks]

Some have cited Wikipedia as "proof" that waterboarding is illegal.

On reading the article, it simply concludes that some interrogation methods such as waterboarding are "controversial," not that they are illegal.

My observation: facts and logic do not matter around here.

My prediction: facts and logic will never matter around here.

[2008FedUP]

Wow didn't know Wikipedia was the law of the US congressional system.

[FightingTheRight]

So you are pro-waterboarding for U.S. soldiers?

[BabblingBrooks]

I would MUCH prefer waterboarding to beheading.

No, I don't APPROVE OR WISH waterboarding for our soldiers. However, compared to how they are treated, it is a much better option and one they would prefer themselves compared to cutting off fingers, toes, gouging out eyes, hanging by bound arms, etc.

Your fallacy is in thinking that our soldiers are treated well by terrorists under any circumstances. Your second fallacy in thinking that, if we just stopped waterboard­ing--which we had already done, by the way--the terrorists would treat our soldiers better if captured.

The Muslim jihadists are not signatories to the Geneva Conventions and have never abided by them and never will.

I would try thinking before saying stupid things in the future.

[RobinLandseadel]

And some have cited the historical record of this country prosecuting people who committed waterboarding, citing that act as torture and as such aginst the law. Like John McCain:

"Senator and presidential candidate John McCain mentioned waterboarding by the Japanese during his appearance in CBS’ “60 Minutes” on March 9, 2008. He answered when he was asked if “waterboarding” was torture:
Sure. Yes. Without a doubt…We prosecuted Japanese war criminals after World War II. And one of the charges brought against them, for which they were convicted, was that they water-boarded Americans.­"

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Kinue-Tokudome/3024

You can stop now, you lost this argument to one of your own. You really should be ashamed of yourself..

[BabblingBrooks]

The Tokyo trials were concerned with high-level generals and admirals, including Tojo, and were not concerned with waterboarding. Please let me know if you can find evidence that they did.

The Singapore trials may have records and may have been concerned with waterboarding--but the Chinese never released the written transcripts, so we don't know.

The charge that Japanese were prosecuted for waterboarding comes from a newspaper article which cites Lieutenant-colonel Nielsen as having made statements to that effect--but conveniently, LTC Nielsen is dead and cannot confirm--or refute!

Thus, there is no documentation, near as I can uncover, that any Japanese soldiers were prosecuted or executed or hanged--as the charge often is asserted--for waterboarding.

You have evidence, other than that based on a newspaper article quotation CLAIMED to have been made by a dead man, let me know.

[jena132]

Not only is torture illegal per treaties we've agreed to, it puts our soldiers and citizens abroad in greater jeopardy.

[BabblingBrooks]

Half true. Torture is illegal. That it puts our soldiers in greater danger is a theory, one not substantiated by empirical evidence.

The point is to show that WATERBOARDING is torture as defined LEGALLY, not what your opinion or Jesse Ventura's opinion or what the majority of citizens opinion is.

Thanks for proving my point, that facts and logic are either beyond HuffPosters or that they don't care.

[ckoo]

I just watched segment on CNN Newsroom with Tony Harris. He had a military lawyer as a guest (didn't catch the lawyer's name - but he has won medals of honor from a humanitarian group)

The lawyer made it very clear: WATERBOARDING IS ILLEGAL! In the past, the US has prosecuted American soldiers who have used waterboarding. There is clear legal precedent.

Tony Harris then asked (and I'm totally paraphrasing from now on), "then why does Dick Cheney insist that waterboarding is ok?"

And the lawyer answered, "I am totally befuddled as to why - I assume he thought that force would work, but there is overwhelming evidence that torture doesn't work."

The lawyer then went on to say,"The Bush administration tried to bend the laws. The Obama administration follows the laws. That is the main difference between them."

[BabblingBrooks]

The lawyer would have to cite his evidence, not just make claims. In any specific case, there are lawyers arguing ON BOTH SIDES. So having a lawyer testify is not conclusive at all. What was his legal reasoning? What evidence could he cite? Is he an escapee from HuffPost?

[tallguy3434]

Jesse, what a voice and he has a mind to go with that voice. Fox people are trying to pay their house mortgage and there must be days when they can't get out of bed to do this kind of crap day in an day out. There are just enough stupid out there to make Fox keep going.

[AlligatorShuz]

Those whimps at Fox should have known better than to argue with Jesse Ventura.Th­e man was a Navy Seal.....

[BabblingBrooks]

The general argument here, in syllogism form, runs as follows:

1) Waterboarding is torture.
2) US and international law forbid torture.
3) Therefore waterboarding is illegal.

The problem with this syllogism is that the first premise is an opinion, not a fact. People have a right to this opinion, but the TRUTH is that the various authorities and references cited by some (Federal Reg 208.18, for example) do not show that waterboarding is illegal--indeed, they don't even mention waterboarding quite often! When the Senate took up a bill that would have defined waterboarding as torture and made waterboarding illegal under US law, they voted it down! Congress has NOT made waterboarding illegal nor defined it as torture.

No matter how many times you folks chant that waterboarding is illegal under US law, it is not.

No one yet has cited a law which makes it illegal or defines it as torture.

Thus, you can believe it is torture all you want. To some people, perhaps it is. That's NOT the point. The point is whether it is torture and illegal under US law--and it is not!

[FightingTheRight]

So you believe it would be ok for our troops to be subjected to waterboarding by America's enemies.

Got it.

Go put another "We Support the Troops" ribbon on your car.



Torture is illegal according to the Geneva Convention.

So the question is whether or not waterboarding is torture.

Those who have been subjected to it, say waterboarding is torture.

[BabblingBrooks]

No! You cannot read, you cannot follow logical statements, you are behaving like a fool.

The question is NOT whether waterboarding is torture or not--that's a personal opinion, and people are entitled to their opinions.

The question is whether it has EVER BEEN DEFINED AS TORTURE UNDER US LAW AND WHETHER IT IS THUS ILLEGAL OR NOT.

The answer is that it has not been defined as torture and has not been declared illegal under U. S. law.

NOW do you get it, Mr. Dense?

[BabblingBrooks]

And NO, I don't believe it is good to have our troops subjected to waterboarding by our enemies.

It is good to subject them to waterboarding by their friends, our trainers! It lets them know what to expect and it lets them know that enemy troops are not harmed by it. Both bits of useful information.

[BabblingBrooks]

And lastly:

Please search the Geneva Conventions and find where they MENTION WATERBOARDING OR DEFINE IT AS TORTURE!

Go ahead. Try it.

Get back to me.

[BabblingBrooks]

Well, almost lastly!

It is GENEVA CONVENTIONS. Plural. There were THREE OF THEM.

[RobinLandseadel]

Waterboarding is illegal:

The United States has enacted statutes prohibiting torture and cruel or inhuman treatment. It is these statutes which make waterboarding illegal.[2­2] The four principal statutes which Congress has adopted to implement the provisions of the foregoing treaties are the Torture Act,[23] the War Crimes Act,[24],and the laws entitled “Prohibition on Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of Persons Under Custody or Control of the United States Government”[25] and “Additional Prohibition on Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment­.”[26] The first two statutes are criminal laws while the latter two statutes extend civil rights to any person in the custody of the United States anywhere in the world.

"The Torture Act makes it a felony for any person, acting under color of law, to commit an act of torture upon any person within the defendant’s custody or control outside the United States.[27­] Torture is defined as the intentional infliction of “severe physical or mental pain or suffering” upon a person within the defendant’s custody or control.[2­8] To be “severe,” any mental pain or suffering resulting from torture must be “prolonged­.”[29] Under this law, torture is punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment unless the victim dies as a result of the torture, in which case the penalty is death or life in prison.[30­]

http://lawreview.wustl.edu/slip-opinions/waterboarding-is-illegal/

[PDXTransplant]

You're just another squawking rightwing parrot. squawk! squawk! squawk!

[RobinLandseadel]

If a legal opinion says something that is transparently a lie, is it still right?

And are you willing to fight for that law? Or do you expose the law for what it is and change it?

Why are you defending the indefensible?

[RobinLandseadel]

The first syllogism has history on its side. As I said before, until Bushco's Haliburton subsidiary decided to adjust the laws so that waterboarding became an "enhanced interrogation technique" no-one questioned that waterboarding was torture. Waterboarding has been illegal in decision after decision until the neo-cons decided to torture language and morality. As far as I can tell, that law you cite is some wiggling about that Yoo and Bybee cooked up to please Darth Cheney. What Jesse has to say on Fox & Friends is the moral and legal truth.

Torquemada is proud of you, Mr. Babble.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/torquemada/index.html