Cheney: Chief of Churls

I feel sick to my stomach as I write this.

This morning I read the interview with the former Guantanamo guard who describes in excruciating detail how Gitmo prisoners were allegedly subjected to anal rape as well as other forms of sexual abuse, torture, humiliation, and other atrocities, all at the hands of their U.S. captors, in some cases under the supervision of U.S. medical personnel. It is a ghastly account.

Over the weekend, I decided to view Alex Gibney's 2007 documentary, Taxi to the Dark Side, a film that narrates similar detainee maltreatment -- in some cases, resulting in outright homicide -- at Bagram prison in Afghanistan and Abu Ghraib in Iraq. The film incorporates gruesome Abu Ghraib photos that have not been widely displayed to the general public. I guess the reason I hadn't yet watched Taxi to the Dark Side is that, like many others, I just wanted to move on past this dark national episode, especially once the Bush perpetrators were out of office: Who, after all, really wants to dwell on the topic of U.S. torture? Besides, I knew that my former Pomona College colleague, the late Frank Gibney, makes a cameo appearance at the end of the film - -which is dedicated to his memory, as the filmmaker recalls his father's principled patriotism - -and I just didn't want to engage in double grieving, personal and political.

Evidence of these Bush-era war crimes will, no doubt, continue to leak out. It's becoming clearer and clearer that these official acts of cruelty had little to do, either in intent or effect, with enhancing national security or producing reliable intelligence. Those rationalizations, those cover stories, will not pass the test of time, the scrutiny of history, the light of evidence and reasoned judgment.

Let me put a general name to today's sickening news: These were acts of government-sponsored sadism. In some cases, especially at Abu Ghraib and now, apparently, also at Guantanamo, the sadism was explicitly sexualized. But by identifying U.S. policy as sadistic, I also mean to cover a more general range of perverse behaviors in our recent past, all united by a wanton delight, to call it that, in dominating, degrading, bullying, browbeating, and threatening others, as a matter of policy.

The initial tendency will be to try to personalize, in order to contain, such sadism, as a supposedly isolated aberration perpetuated by bad-apple individuals. It is easy, perhaps a natural temptation, to depict, for example, Dick Cheney -- the clipped-wing bird hunter -- as the poster boy of U.S. sadism. He became the bragging ringleader for policies that exceeded the bounds of respectable military strategy (and/or domestic partisanship) in order to inflict special psychological damage on all perceived adversaries within earshot: the terrifying talk about WMD, ticking time bombs, and mushroom clouds; the bombast about the need for preemptive war; the lying about an incontrovertible link between 9-11 and Saddam; the shocking and awing; the insistence on waterboarding; the indecent disdain for the Geneva Conventions; the Plamegating of critics; the spying without warrant; the legal approval for squeezing a child's testicles; and so on. Last week, several commentators roundly condemned Cheney's most recent remarks as a macabre exercise in domestic fear mongering, a not-so-subtle ill-wishing for calamity to be visited upon the body politic. They wished in turn that he would simply remain quiet, or else just go away, sinking into oblivion, never to be heard from again.

But I'm more concerned about Cheney's (and others') sadism as government policy (not with his personal pathology as such) and with the lingering question about what we are to do about it now. Cheney insisted again last week that the U.S. must use dastardly and extra-constitutional (and un-Christian) techniques because, "These are evil people. And we're not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek." And he faulted the new administration for being naive about all of this: "The United States needs to be not so much loved as it needs to be respected. Sometimes, that requires us to take actions that generate controversy. I'm not at all sure that that's what the Obama administration believes."

Let's be clear about Cheney's devious words here, which hardly conceal his underlying sadism: He thinks the U.S. will be "respected" if and only if it is willing to meet evil with evil. That position goes well beyond Machiavelli's infamous "it is better to be feared than loved" maxim or Hobbes' "covenants, without the sword, are but words" or Carl Schmitt's contention that modern politicians ought not extend liberal tolerance toward their enemies. Cheney and his ilk clearly abide by an unchecked belief that our adversaries must be beaten, raped, degraded, and humiliated, not just thwarted and defeated. He condones torture, not because it makes us safer (he knows better), but because it produces the kind of "respect" he seeks.

Let us put aside the obvious rejoinder that such imaginary "victories" are Pyrrhic. Instead, what are we to do now with the residual current of compliant, complementary masochism that condoned, sustained, perpetuated, and even celebrated Bush and Cheney's sadistic horrors? I don't agree with those who believe we can repress and postpone indefinitely confronting such national crimes against humanity. In my view, it would be better for the days of such reckoning to come sooner, rather than later (the election wasn't sufficient to that gravely moral end). If we wait too long, who among us will still have the resilience to be able to write the next Oresteia, the next Beloved, or the next Eichmann in Jerusalem?

Comments

[davism97]

It's not just the American people crying out for justice against these criminals. The entire world wants justice. How dare Cheney and Bush send U.S. soldiers to get killed over lies. How dare they treat the American constitution with so little respect.

[DCX2]

I always found a striking similarity in our treatment of detainees and some BDSM pr0n I have seen. The major difference is that in BDSM you have a safe word, and you're free to go once the scene is over.

[Oldchef]

The Justice Department must investigate all evidence of abuse and war crimes and prosecute those responsible. I imagine Pres. Obama would just like to go forward and not have some conservatives screaming about revenge, but our country's ideals call for a thorough investigation and prosecution of wrong doing. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and all 3 of his Attorneys General should be required to testify and be held to account.

[lagumbo]

Cheney ,Bush, and their henchmen should all be sent to prison. I am a supporetr and defender of PRESIDENT OBAMA, but If the president does not see fit to have these savaged men brought to trial for wacrimes, I will be very disappointed in the president. The United STATES NEED to regain their dignity in the world, and bringing these criminals to trial is the only way that can happen.

[CARF]

The United States 'BADLY' needs to prosecute all these men for war crime in order to get any respect back from the world. What they did was 'WRONG, VERY WRONG' and they need to pay for it.... AFTER ALL THEY WENT AFTER THOSE IN THE HOLOCOST, THEN SADDAM, SO WHY NOT THESSE VICIOUS SICK CREEPS....

[jackwaddington]

Bush and Cheyney and several members of that administration should be shipped off to Den Haag and the international court of justice. Anything short of this will demonstrate the hypocrisy of The United States of America and it's very being.

[jackbutler5555]

I propose we devote all of our energies to repairing the damage done by the previous administration. That would be all -- ALL -- our energies. When we have made substantial progress in that direction, we can turn to the work to be done in punishing Bush -- not Cheney, not the CIA, not military prison guards. Only Bush was in a position to stop the torture, jut as he and only he was in a position to approve it. The rest were without authority unless it came from the commander-in-chief.

[JimRinX]

If you read - or listen to - Lydon LaRouche; then you'd know he has - repeatedly - accused Cheney, and his wife, of being in a Slave-Dominatrix type relationsh­ip/marriag­e; ranting and railing about her tying him to the bedsted each night!
And if you think that our Arab/Muslim accused terrorists 'geusts' were the only people being tortured in the U.S. during the last eight years, then you're not in touch with what this (former) Medical Marijuana Patient, ex-Catholic Buddhist, Anti War/Bush/Big Oils excesses Activist has been put through!
The only problem is; how do I tell anyone what happened, when they've used a 'National Security Secret Nano-tech Thingy' to 'do it (torture me, that is) to me', and have every intention of getting away with it?
You see, I was GROWING POT and, though I was thus saving the taxpayer 900+ Dolars/mth., because I MIGHT have shared it with some one, I WAS LABELED A TERRORIST, TOO!!!!
What they did to my SSD Applications and Appeals, so that the kings of the Wall Street Crooks could make ME look like a CHEAT, is even worse!
I have a Neuropathy, I suffer from Chronic Pain, I am slowly becomming paralyzed; though you'd NEVER KNOW IT - IF YOU LOOKED AT MY SSD FILES AT THE SSA's OFFICES.
They all say that I'm 'crazy' - and probably FAKING IT!!!
NO, my friends, the unfortunates in Guantanamo were NOT AMERICAS ONLY TORTURE VICTIMS OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS!!!

[CARF]

It happens all the time, even right here within America and the police do nothing to stop it... It's mostly wife abuse and there is not a single law to protect them....

[flatus]

If the Republicans weren't so deeply enamored with "mean big daddys" then they, too, would be able to see, just by looking, what a creep this man Cheney is.

[jamesmk]

"Whenever I hear anyone arguing for torture, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." - Lincoln, paraphrased.

Look, every tyrant and monster who tortured for a country claimed it was for "national security". Hitler didn't embark on the extermination of the Jews saying that he was a racist pig and hated them. He said it was for "national security". Stalin tortured, murdered, imprisoned and enslaved thousands in the name of "national security". Polpot, Kemher Rhuge, the killing fields, all in the name of "national security".

"National Security", throughout history, has taken more liberty, tortured more people, ruined more lives (of both victim AND perpetrator) than ANY religion, any cause, or any nation in the world.

"A nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it." - Winston Churchill

We seem to have forgotten the lessons of the past. If we sweep it under the rug, we will again. Only a police-state dares to offer total security. Though, ironically enough, a police-state is a danger to every citizen, because every citizen is a potential threat. What we need is a little less security and a little more insecurity.

Our country has, unfortunately, set the precedent that our officials are above the law. Let's break that disturbing trend.

Prosecution of our own war criminals is the BEST defense against terror, and the only defense that can possibly prevent it from being done in our names again.

"Cowards die many deaths, the valiant just one"

[nirek]

I can't understand why Kucinich did not succeed with his impeachment of cheney and bush. These two are guilty of some of the worst crimes against humanity and seem to have gotten away with it!

[WorkingClass]

Bush and Cheney both enjoy hurting people. Thats why they do it. American police and prison authorities are still torturing people even if the CIA is not. The justice department should be beefed up and given instructions to prosecute government sanctioned cruelty at all levels.

[lthuedk 1]

Give this to Justice.

There are teams of prosecutors ready, if the Congress, and the Executive clear the path to prosecute and stay at arms length. Justice takes care of this sort of business for us, not the Executive and not the Legislature. The Plaintiff R Us.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/americas_shame.html

Do we really need another 9-11 Commission?

Why distract the Executive and Legislative branches away from myriad other pressing problems. Why do it any other way?

http://www.light-to-dark.com/rove_and_gonzales_do_justice.html

Give it to Justice. Show America and the World...that we stand behind the law. That "we own our mistakes," as President Obama said.

[WorkingClass]

Hear Hear!

[lthuedk 1]

You've described a monster...­perfectly.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/neocons_betray_plame_and_country.html

On just one count worthy of the most sincere punishment, Mr. Cheney outed an American agent and her front company. That's treason even without considering Cheney also took out America's handle on M.E. WMD intelligence in the act. Just to realize the fanatical P.N.A.C.

I don't think the fed is finished with Libby. Or Cheney. Or Pinky.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/yellowcake_tango_0.html

[Dystopic]

The Plame outing was just plain treason. If we or any of our allies gets nuked anytime soon we cab easily blame and then charge Cheney

[benalbanach]

And those torturers.....are among you !

[Cranbot]

It is a strange psychology that Cheney and his Republican Party has. They have grown up ashamed and in fear of humiliation so they strike out first and furious. Most narcissists fear humiliation and cannot accept their own feelings of inadequacy so they will do anything to shut them off and dismiss them, therefore reinforcing their feelings of superiority. This lends itself to black and white thinking, which is also a symptom of the Republican party. Note that most of the biggest cheerleaders of Cheney's policies, including himself, never served in the military. They are first and foremost cowards who pose as tough guys, but would wet themselves if they were confronted with anything close to what our soldiers have to face every day. They might be able to beat and torture people themselves if they knew that security was nearby and there was no risk to themselves. They don't care about anyone but themselves, not even wives, children and grandchildren, for if they did, they would care about the world they will be leaving them. As the cowards they are, they rule through fear and intimidation and they order others to do their dirty work, not only through torture, but also through blackmail. They give no thought to the lives and psyches they are ruining. If you did their bidding and lost your mind, they would have you expelled from the health care system and then spit on you and kick you if they saw you on the street.

[liberal54]

Amen! Great comment.

[hyjanks]

Exactly. As a Viet Nam War infantry vet (who, incidentally, marched in my first anti-war rally two weeks after getting back to "the world"), I became instantly aware of the likes of Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, and the rest of the on and off screen heroes with their propensity for sending others to fight wars while they stay comfortably in the rear, issuing orders or criticizing those who refuse to go and fight.
Bush and Cheney are from a different generation (mine, unfortunately) but woven from the same cloth. War to them is an abstract that they care not to experience first hand, preferring to wage battles with real or perceived enemies using every available means at their disposal. And when available means prove insufficient in their minds to win a war, their vicious ignorance takes over policy and they find lawyers who will cover their asses--ones who issue legal briefs that would allow them to fulfill any fantasy that they have concerning extracting information from their enemies.
My desire is for all criminals who participated in these anti-human, unconstitutional acts to remain in reasonable health until such time that they are brought to justice. I especially want Cheney's evil, diseased heart to keep on ticking until he finds himself in a jail cell.