US Interrogation Tactics = War Crimes
Andrew Sullivan: “In Norway, we actually have a 1948 court case that weighs whether “enhanced interrogation” using the methods approved by president Bush amounted to torture. The proceedings are fascinating, with specific reference to the hypothermia used in Gitmo, and throughout interrogation centers across the field of conflict. The Nazi defense of the techniques is almost verbatim that of the Bush administration…Critics will no doubt say I am accusing the Bush administration of being Hitler. I’m not. There is no comparison between the political system in Germany in 1937 and the U.S. in 2007. What I am reporting is a simple empirical fact: the interrogation methods approved and defended by this president are not new. Many have been used in the past. The very phrase used by the president to describe torture-that-isn’t-somehow-torture – “enhanced interrogation techniques” – is a term originally coined by the Nazis. The techniques are indistinguishable. The methods were clearly understood in 1948 as war-crimes. The punishment for them was death.” (t/b)
Click here to see a short description of Nazi interogation techniques.
Nazi Germany was run by a guy named Adolph who wasn’t interested in finding terrorists. He was into total war. Making enemies along the way was just icing on the cake for him. He combined race and religion with nationalism and it resulted dictatorship. And he over extended himself, ignored advisors, and sent his best men into the meat grinder of Stalingrad. (he didn’t like the name of the city)
He simply gave Stalin more power than he deserved…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SAmDxEUOUM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftectonicforces%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F2006%2F09%2Fenemy%2Dat%2Dgates%2Dmenu%2Dfor%2Dbf1942%2Ehtml
I think it’s beside the point “who” was in charge of the country that authorized these interrogation tactics. They were determined to constitute war crimes.
I’m not saying Bush = Hitler. I’m talking about torture, and not only does General Patraeus feel the way I do about it, but pretty much everyone but the GOP base and Dick Cheney seems to comprehend this concept.
Too much television…this is a great example of it. Because at the SC Debates, I could have sworn that most of the people involved actually thought the show 24 was a documentary.
Al
I’ve seen the comparison made and, well sometimes I like to address an issue from the extreme left or the extreme right. (Whatever works)
And I’m completely opposed to torture.
I’m for playing the same game by the same rules.
When dealing with people who torture, use the same methods on them.
When not sure if they did it, take your time to use standard methods of interogation.
What ever happened to that truth drug I use to hear about?
Al Swearengen, in your post #3 you stated:
“I’m not saying Bush = Hitler. I’m talking about torture, and not only does General Patraeus feel the way I do about it, but pretty much everyone but the GOP base and Dick Cheney seems to comprehend this concept.”
Al, I consider myself part of the GOP base, and I certainly comprehend what Cheney et al are doing. I support Kucinish’s efforts to impeach the SOB’s!
preussow,
That’s why things aren’t going well. Conservatives seem to think that Osama should decide the terms of war not us. Should we have killed jews during WWII to beat Hitler? That’s why you are saying.
preussow is just smarter than all of us. He figured out that two wrongs make a right.
We teach that to our children every day after all…
I’m tired of these public debates about snooping and torture. We all know that “they” have been doing both for a long time. So why the public debate? It seems like a form of psychological warfare. The fearful keep quiet and the “I’ve got nothing to hide” crowd jumps to the forefront. So they seem like the majority. HA!!!
Sure it occurs, outside the scope of what we call our representative government. But why “allow” it? Why put additional powers into the hands of the current President, and continue to destroy the Constitution in the process?
I agree with Bill.
Bill,
Please outline how you have personally experienced an erosion of civil and or constitutional rights since President Bush has been President.
hoads is a right-wing talk radio host now.
caller: “they denied habeus corpus in the bill signed at the end of last summer”
right-wing talker: “let me ask you, have have YOU been effected by all this?”
Implying, I suppose, that until one of us ends up in Guantanamo, we’ve got no grounds to take offense to what is done in our name.
Very noble of you hoads…you’ve really got that whole “of the people, by the people and for the people” concept working for you…
I can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Maybe a little, “so you’re in favor of terrorists being given the same rights as American citizens (not counting Jose Padilla of course)? don’t you remember 9/11?”
You know you want to write it.