Not since "Mission Accomplished" had President Bush made such an iconic blunder.
When the president insisted to the world on Friday that "this government does not torture people," the gap between the rhetoric and reality of his words was so bitterly obvious that it instantly became the natural compliment to his seminal pronouncement on Iraq.
Yet the parallels, unfortunately, end there. For the sad reality is that the burlesque nature of Bush's "torture" declaration was in another sense utterly unprecedented, even for him.
To see what I mean, we need to start not with what Bush's declaration denies, but what it admits. Watch the video, and you'll see that the dour adamance with which Bush insists his administration "does not torture" betrays him here: it communicates a clear awareness that torture is, in itself, a moral wrong.
That Bush would make such an admission is utterly extraordinary. I cannot think of another instance in which he has implied, however tacitly, that the execution of presidential power could be immoral on its face. Unilateral military action, warrantless wiretapping, indefinite detention -- in each case Bush has admitted that those policies could be taken too far. But he's never suggested that they might be unethical in themselves; any time he's challenged on that point, he either dodges the question or exhibits a stark disregard for the moral assumptions of his critics.
Yet even Bush understands that torture is different. Where he has little qualms initiating war or spying on his own citizens, there's something about torture that gives him pause.
What is it?
Presumably, it's that he too can recognize how radically torture undermines the core premise of democracy. In a democratic society, after all, the most fundamental belief is that the human will is sacrosanct -- that each individual has the right to will as they please, if not to act on it.
Yet torture explicitly disavows that sanctity: it violates the human body precisely so that it might control the human will.
That is why no democratic official can endorse torture as a state policy. To take away the absolute sanctity of the human will is to take away democracy's very reason for being -- without it, there's no way to distinguish the moral legitimacy of democracy from that of any other government.
Once again, the good news here is that Bush is aware of this: he wouldn't deny that his administration endorsed torture if he weren't.
The bad news, though, is that Bush doesn't seem to understand that the moral logic of torture exists independently of what we call it. The practice of waterboarding, for instance, inflicts extreme duress on a subject with the express purpose of altering their will. Regardless of whether we define waterboarding as an "enhanced interrogation technique" or "torture," it thus violates the democratic belief in the absolute sovereignty of the human will.
The fact that Bush could admit to such practices, even as he claimed that "this government does not torture," is why his appearance on Friday will undoubtedly remain as his most shamefully iconic moment.
At the very point at which he hoped to reassure the world of his moral authority, he instead demonstrated a profound disregard for the moral foundation that makes democracy great.
he said they don't torture 'people' but then, they've gone to great pains to dehumanize their perceived 'enemies' so maybe he doesn't believe they are 'people' to begin with? he did remark at one point that iraqis were 'not people' so this comment kind of fits that profile...
after all, the 'new' definition of torture is exactly equivalent to 'premeditated murder.' anything less than intending to kill someone or cause their organs to fail is not considered torture. to put it another way, if you intend to kill someone, then you are torturing them, but if you don't expect them to die, you are within the law. nice. even accidental death by 'interrogation' is not 'premeditated murder' therefore, not torture. and if you do this to someone who's not real 'people,' then you haven't done anything wrong at all.
the new definition for 'people' should be forthcoming. it should be interesting.
I just saw the opera "Fidelio" written by Beethoven - his only one.
Fedelio was about fascist oppression following the "terror" in the French Revolution throughout Europe. It also spoke to the contemporary permutations of the distressingly obstinate impulse toward fascism.
Fedelio is about a political prisoner whose only crime was to speak out.
WE GET THE GOVERNMENT WE DESERVE… and, boy, we’ve really been getting it for the last 6-1/2 years! Truth, values, competence and results no longer matter in America.
THE PROBLEM: the President is not a rational thinker – his mind accepts information from only two sources: faith and experience. Because Bush is not rational (strictly empirical and subjective), objective facts and evidence such as the recent National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs) that found the Iraq war has created more jihadists and terrorists and made America less safe are meaningless to this anachronistic man of several millennia ago. The reality of Iraq is what he thinks it is from the beautiful White House, and so our country and our precious soldiers are in for much more of this strategic disaster.
GOOD NEWS though... God is speaking directly to George Bush (again) and telling him to go to war with Iran. This new war should go as well as the strategically-brainless Iraq war (our President’s last guidance from “a higher authority, another Father†than Bush41) and further help over one billion Muslims in their decision to fight America in a mutual holy war. When the President finally increases the level of hatred against the United States to where it engulfs Pakistan, then we face nuclear terror, and Biblical Armageddon becomes real and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Oh, the joy, the Rapture!
Without rational thinking, bumping into reality is always a shock! FUTURE SHOCK… roiled Pakistan is just one assassin’s bullet away from going under, and still jihad recruitment is only in its infancy. The Crusades of long ago are living history in the Middle East, so Muslims are already primed for another war with Christian invaders; and our “bring it on†cowboy President is only rekindling and fueling this centuries-old fire.
After all the progress we have seen with North Korea by bringing in others to help in the negotiations, International Negotiations, you think BUSH would learn. PEACE IS MUCH BETTER THAN WAR.
Diplomacy CAN WORK!
Alberto Gonzales?
You mean (Mr. Torture),,,,, that Alberto?
?????
Alberto: Hey George, Is Kidney Punch, one word or two?
George: I don*t know, ask Karl or Dick. Maybe Rumsfeld knows?
Sheeese!!!!
All the best
Knute (Neo-LIB)
No one would.
Accurate info is not to be gotten through torture. Especially if you have the stereotypical religious extremist who believes he is working for god.
I am ashamed of my government.
Eloquently expressed!
Under the law mens rea is a requisite mental state for a criminal offense.
Seems you have met that burden with this post.
Agape.
I don't think Bush has any genuine morality. He's just uncomfortable with it because on some level he knows torture (and someone who orders torture) is stupid and cowardly.
I don't think Bush is the least bit uncomfortable with torture. I do think he is afraid of being prosecuted for it which is why he signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006.
"Yet torture explicitly disavows that sanctity: it violates the human body precisely so that it might control the human will."
True, but then isn't incarceration torture in a way? It is violating the human will in order to control that will, in this case, the will to be free in order to control the will to do harm.
I think torture is like porn, it's hard to define but we all know it when we see it.
Rather, it remains why we as a people are repeatedly allowing this administration to cross that heretofore-sacrosanct threshhold with increased frequency and impunity.
Oh Man.
Bush and morality?
He insults half the known world daily and dosn*t even know what it is they are upset over.
We must be pushing 800,000 Iraqi dead, and he thinks more deaths will solve things.
Now they set 1200 targets in IRAN, and he is still trying to act the tough guy. Umm? People will be under those bombs.
Bush probably thinks individual rights are what you call in a Priest to administer, just prior to death.
3800 or our men and women dead and Bush won’t go to a single funeral? Hell, I cry just hearing their names read off on TV.
And if he flips the camera the FINGER again, I think I will PUKE!
Have you all seen that? The Finger thing???
And he giggled.
Like a sophomoric business admin major, with a wing donated in his name.
Oh and I remember somebody trying to tell the world how astute Bush is, that he need not read that often, that he can size people just standing in a room.
Yeah, like Gonzales, Brownie, Rumsfeld, Rove and a dozen others that have trashed the American reputation and trampled the Constitution.
Guys. With all BUSH has done, I think he is just hoping he can force Americans into rash actions against his administration.
That is all the excuse he would need to Pull Off an Oliver North, secret Government take over.
PLEASE,,,,,,, of all the times we need our heads about us, it is NOW!
I am not just talking being on our best behavior, being strong yes, but ALWAYS within the LAW. As we have seen, you give BUSH an inch he will take the MILE!
Be GOOD! Carry a Camera. Photo everything. Document everything. If ever you are in a crowd or at some rally, photo the screamers FIRST! Photo and Video EVERYONE!
What do we have, 14 or 15 months to go?
BE SAFE! BE WISE! BE CALM!
Keep the children CLOSE.
May God see us through!!!
All the best
Knute (Neo-LIB)
Just had surgery... Can't type ... can't think.
Thanks for saying it all.
You and Mr. Meserole.
Thank you!
Ani