This is an old story, but it’s important because it underlines all that is wrong with the last 7 years of executive branch “leadership” in this country. Here’s a timeline to remind us of the events:
- November 7, 2005 – George Bush states flatly “We do not torture.”
- January 25, 2008 – It is disclosed that the CIA waterboarded at least 3 detainees.
- March 7, 2008 – Bush vetoes anti-torture legislation.
It’s clear that either a) the administration has a collective IQ less than room temperature or b) they simply don’t care and will lie at every turn or perhaps c) all of the above. If torture ever produced good results, that would be one thing (it still would be wrong, but at least reasonably sane humans could understand some bit of the inclination to attempt it) but it’s crystal clear that the victims of torture will say anything to stop the torture.
To the Bush administration and anyone else who claims “yeah, but waterboarding isn’t torture.” I extend the following challenge: If you are willing to submit to the practice in question for an extended period of time as practiced in these so-called enhanced interrogations and come out the other end of the process still believing the practice is not torture, I’ll listen to your opinion and consider the possibility that it is not torture. Until that time, there’s no question, it’s torture, plain and simple.
I don’t see any of the defenders of the practice lined up to take the challenge. That must mean it’s unpleasant at a minimum. Terrorists torture. Dictators torture. That’s not what this country is about and we need to get back on the straight and narrow road here regarding basic human rights and rule of law.
