Fine. Then shut down the black sites, tell Dick Cheney to stop
lobbying against the McCain amendment, and allow the Red Cross
unfettered access to prisoners in our custody. After all, if the events
of the past four years had happened in any other country in the world —
the abuse, the memos, the photos, the relentless opposition to
independent inspections — isn't that the least it would take for any of
us to believe it when that country's head of state declared "We do not
torture"?
It's not going to be easy for the United States to regain its
credibility as a country dedicated to combatting barbarism and
supporting human rights. That's all the more reason we should start now.
Fareed Zakaria confirms what I've been thinking, that the war has for all intents and purposes been lost because of Abu Ghraib:
This
is a case of more than just bad public relations. Ask any soldier in
Iraq when the general population really turned against the United
States and he will say, "Abu Ghraib." A few months before the
scandal broke, Coalition Provisional Authority polls showed Iraqi
support for the occupation at 63 percent. A month after Abu Ghraib, the
number was 9 percent. Polls showed that 71 percent of Iraqis were
surprised by the revelations. Most telling, 61 percent of Iraqis polled
believed that no one would be punished for the torture at Abu Ghraib.
Of the 29 percent who said they believed someone would be punished, 52
percent said that such punishment would extend only to "the little
people."
Of course it's not torture. It's all fraternity hazing pranks, remember?
Support the troops by ignoring the Geneva conventions. That's how it works in gooper cognitive-dissonance land.
Yellow magnets on your car = "Supporting the Troops."
Voting for leaders who fail to provide basic body armor for the troops = "Supporting the Troops."
Calling for a pre-emptive war based on trumped-up WMD evidence = "Supporting the Troops."
But
asking for them to be brought home so they can't be killed and maimed
for the pointless reason of establishing an Iran-friendly theocracy in
Iraq = "Liberal Treason."
Notice that Bush said: "Any activity we conduct is within the law."
Not
"We
only act within the law." I think he honestly believes that he
could authorize "any" action and, by definition, it wouldn't be torture.
