Thursday, March 10, 2005
PACIFICA COMMENTARY FOR MARCH 9, 2005
TORTURE
Jonathan Schell has referred to the media as the obfuscation industry. Let us cut through that obfuscation regarding the matter of torture. The president of the United States, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense have made themselves perfectly clear. They all approve torture. They support torture and they promote torture. There is absolutely no question about it. They know it goes on in our domestic prisons, they know it goes on in our military behavior. They know that through a foul process called rendition we are also sending suspects to torture and death in foreign lands without due process.
The mealy mouthed comments, the weasel words and the flat out double talk of these four officials have made their approval of torture transparent. The entire torture industry, much of which is conducted by corporate mercenaries, represents the face of evil. First and foremost, it is immorality at its lowest and most stinking level. It is wrong, unforgivable and self-condemning on the face.
Secondly torture endangers our personnel overseas. Instead of the Geneva Accords which instruct all combatants that they are to give only their name rank and serial number, they now can expect torture treatment in kind.
As the Grand Inquisitor showed him the instruments of torture, Galileo was content to say that the sun goes around the earth. No one should be expected to say anything true under torture. Torture is simply the pristine form of terrorism. It is nothing less than extreme rape.
Those who conduct torture the are living dead. They are shallow, banal, obedient zombies. It would be better for them if they had never been born.
The statements of top officials demonstrate the dictionary definition of mealy mouthed. What they say about torture amounts to either avoiding the question or flat out lies.
Torture is also unconstitutional and illegal. A functional Congress would begin impeachment proceedings immediately.
In the centuries of history of this abomination, nothing of value has been learned. Nothing but the inhumanity of the torturers. Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article Five:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Demand an end to this disgrace to the United States of America.
Jonathan Schell has referred to the media as the obfuscation industry. Let us cut through that obfuscation regarding the matter of torture. The president of the United States, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense have made themselves perfectly clear. They all approve torture. They support torture and they promote torture. There is absolutely no question about it. They know it goes on in our domestic prisons, they know it goes on in our military behavior. They know that through a foul process called rendition we are also sending suspects to torture and death in foreign lands without due process.
The mealy mouthed comments, the weasel words and the flat out double talk of these four officials have made their approval of torture transparent. The entire torture industry, much of which is conducted by corporate mercenaries, represents the face of evil. First and foremost, it is immorality at its lowest and most stinking level. It is wrong, unforgivable and self-condemning on the face.
Secondly torture endangers our personnel overseas. Instead of the Geneva Accords which instruct all combatants that they are to give only their name rank and serial number, they now can expect torture treatment in kind.
As the Grand Inquisitor showed him the instruments of torture, Galileo was content to say that the sun goes around the earth. No one should be expected to say anything true under torture. Torture is simply the pristine form of terrorism. It is nothing less than extreme rape.
Those who conduct torture the are living dead. They are shallow, banal, obedient zombies. It would be better for them if they had never been born.
The statements of top officials demonstrate the dictionary definition of mealy mouthed. What they say about torture amounts to either avoiding the question or flat out lies.
Torture is also unconstitutional and illegal. A functional Congress would begin impeachment proceedings immediately.
In the centuries of history of this abomination, nothing of value has been learned. Nothing but the inhumanity of the torturers. Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article Five:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Demand an end to this disgrace to the United States of America.
