Torture and Hypocrisy

Dear Friends,

The torture conducted by the United States, in our names, was not only illegal and morally despicable, it has demonstrated the incredible hypocrisy of the United States.  Two items in The New York Times this morning clearly demonstrate this hypocrisy.

The first was an article entitled "Obama Favors Sanctions for Abuse of Venezuela Protestors" by William Neuman (here).  

President Obama plans to sign into law a bill that would impose sanctions on Venezuelan government officials responsible for human rights violations or violence against protesters who took part in antigovernment demonstrations here this year, a White House spokesman said in Washington on Thursday.

How hypocritical is it for President Obama to refuse to prosecute important and powerful people who tortured while sanctioning other countries for their human rights violations?

The second is a letter to the editor.

To the Editor:Is it not incumbent upon President Obama, now that the torture report has at last been released, to pardon the heroic C.I.A. officer who refused to participate in torture and instead revealed its use?
The officer, John C. Kiriakou, was sentenced last year to 30 months for leaking information to the news media. He remains in prison and was stripped of all that he had earned in a distinguished career at the C.I.A., while those who dishonored the agency and the nation continue to be seen on the Sunday talk shows defending the indefensible — torture.
BEATRICE WILLIAMS-RUDE
New York, Dec. 10, 2014

President Obama is willing to jail people who bring to light torture but not the people who condoned, ordered and carried out torture.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal

Torture

Dear Friends,

International and domestic law contain absolute bans on torture.  Any civilized and moral society must ban all torture - no exceptions.

United States law defines torture as follows:

(1) “torture” means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control;(2) “severe mental pain or suffering” means the prolonged mental harm caused by or resulting from—(A) the intentional infliction or threatened infliction of severe physical pain or suffering;
(B) the administration or application, or threatened administration or application, of mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the personality;
(C) the threat of imminent death; or
(D) the threat that another person will imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or suffering, or the administration or application of mind-altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or personality;

There can be no doubt under this definition that waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques used by the United States are torture.

Under International law, it is clear that the "just following orders" defense is invalid.  That rule was clearly established in the Nuremberg trials.

Vice President Cheney has admitted that he either ordered or condoned waterboarding and is therefore guilty of violating United States and International law and should be prosecuted along with all the others that condoned torture, ordered torture and carried out torture.

Failure to prosecute and hold torturers accountable for their action will reduce the moral authority of the United States, put us in the category of regimes that torture and be a clear signal to future Presidents and CIA Directors that torture is ok and will not be punished.

CIA Director John Brennan in his speech yesterday defending the CIA when questioned about the future indicated that the future use of torture is left to policy makers.  He was very clear that the CIA will carry out torture if directed to do so by the policy makers.  President Obama should immediately remove him from his position, clearly repudiate torture and prosecute all who ordered, condoned and engaged in torture.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal

Bravo President Obama!!!

Dear Friends,

President Obama made an incredible appearance on The Colbert Report on December 8th.  He did "The Word" segment in true Colbert style while making a great case for Obamacare.  It was the kind of appearance that he needs to make to be sure that people understand the accomplishments of his Presidency and what the incredible differences are between the Republican and Democratic parties.  Now that he is taking actions without concerns about his own reelection or any midterm elections, he seems to be doing better.

I tried to upload the videos but I was unsuccessful so here is a link The Colbert Report's website where you can watch the videos.  You have not seen it, watch it.  You will enjoy it.

Thanks for reading and please comment,
The Unabashed Liberal