Maybe I'm missing something, but why is no one -- neither the media nor the Democrats -- pushing back on Dick Cheney's latest rant that torture produced intelligence that saved American lives, simply pointing out that America's moral and legal code never embraces an "ends justify the means" approach? Isn't that the most basic element of our own criminal justice system and why we have constitutional rights and rules of evidence to protect us?
If not, why not allow domestic eavesdropping on all of us without any oversight so that our government could better determine who was about to commit a heinous crime? Why not allow the police to bust into every home in drug-infested neighborhoods to search and interrogate since we clearly want to find the drugs and drug dealers before they're allowed on the streets?
It shocks me that Cheney, and the GOP talking heads, are in full force pushing the meme that torture saved us from another attack without any simple and sensible response that, in America, the ends never justify the means when it comes to violating the law and constitutional rights. We've let many dangerous criminals walk out of courtrooms as free men because of botched prosecutions. Those are our values. Or so I thought...
Mark Nickolas is the Managing Editor of Political Base.
Update (9:38 pm ET): Apparently, Fox News' own Shepard Smith feels the same way arguing, "We are America! I don't give a rat's ass if it [torture] helps, we are America! We do not fucking torture! We don't do it."
Seriously:
The land of democracy uses botched up intelligent obtained during duress and its okay as the means justifies the end product. What a joke.
It's a shameful mess but it's true.
Their ballot judges were convinced that it was "God's Will" that GWB get elected, even if it meant illegally destroying ballots or changing vote counts.
It's no coincidence conservatives are always used to undermine freedom. Their ethics are the most maleable, they are easily swayed by hate and fear, and they have a powerful ability to deny both logic and reality.
They watch too much "24", not realizing it's fiction.
http://thefiresidepost.com/2009/04/23/the-two-edged-sword-of-justice/
They admittedly tortured. (It's no longer about *if* they did since they're out there trying to justify it.)
Torture is a crime.
It's against U.S. AND international laws.
We're a 'nation of laws' and 'no one is above the law'. (The pres has reiterated those two sentences quite a few times.)
In a 'nation of laws' , crimes are prosecuted.
Period.
K.I.S.S.
When Cheney was VP, we didn't even know if he was still alive. Now he won't shut up. It's hilarious watching these idiots try to circle the wagons not realizing that they don't have enough wagons to make a circle.
which is an admission in and of itself of war crimes, which no 'legal' memo can retroactively excuse.
They can confiscate memos and emails, but don't they know about youtube and all the other tubes?
Feeding and housing prisoners and bringing them their mail is more expensive than just shooting them, and uses up resources which could be used on the war effort. But that is not supposed to matter.
Bombing "everyone and everything" on the enemy side is easier and faster and often cheaper than attempting to distinguish between civilians and the military. But that is not supposed to matter.
Even if germ warfare inflicts terrible damage on the enemy's society and wins the war quickly and therefore "works", that is not supposed to matter.
This, however, is why states in general, and the United States in particular, ignore international law on such a regular basis. They take the attitude that "being nice... would be nice. But the important things are (a) not to lose, (b) to win, and (c) to win cheaply."
Human beings are the Earth's parasitic virus. Wealthy and powerful societies and sub-cultures vie for supremecy by fighting wars, spreading disease, causing widespread hunger, perpetuating hatred, bigotry and greed, and living in a constant state of deceit and denial.
Peace cannot be achieved by sending more troops with more guns to kill more people. It is beyond ignorant to believe it but Americans will believe anything. We've proven that repeatedly. It's sad that we all hate each other and we really don't understand why.
Not in my name!