Human-Rights Defender: Abuser
Nothing is ever black and white, that's a given. There are so many nuances, permutations, secret little imponderables, stealthy misgivings about matters of moral certainty. In certain circles, that is. There is truth and reality and they remain verities in and of themselves, to be recognized and respected and acted upon. Still, there are always caveats, always "what if" and "but" which are handy qualifiers when what should be embraced as incontrovertible becomes moot.
Case in point, the recent news of the U.S. Congress stating unequivocally that it will not tolerate the use of torture on suspected terrorists by special U.S. forces and the CIA, both tasked to protect the good people of the United States of America and their government and their country. The United States, after all, has always been on the footing of a moral mentor to the world. Absent the occasional slip-up in various parts of the world when they back the wrong dictator.
Yes, America is concerned about the state of the world in general, wishing in the great goodness of its collective heart, to ensure a general state of non-conflict and reasonable static for the good of all. Most particularly for the political aspirations of its own concerns, its own social and cultural needs, its own corporate prowess in furthering the economy of that great nation. Why would they be otherwise inclined?
To their own self-interests firstly, then to the general stability of the world at large. Still proving in its own authoritarian way to be the general conscience of the world, with some notable lapses in judgement. They earn at the very least a B-minus. Of late the scale has slid backward somewhat alarmingly, but there is always the future. Which will kick in when the greater American voting public finally has its way.
Until then the administration they helped to install, and which has reflected the hard-right agenda of the sizable proportion of family-values-oriented, "heritage"-committed religious right will continue to wag the dog. Under which administration stealth was employed to install a method of prisoner interrogation that doesn't flirt with torture, but actually goes out of its way to inflict it, unflinchingly.
Interrogation methods directed toward "irregular" prisoners defined as those apprehended in a theatre of war who are not part of a regular army, but are instead recognized as insurgents, guerrillas, or terrorists - human beings, withal. But for the purposes of this administration, not subject to the protections offered under the Geneva Convention. For this special group there are a number of extraordinary interrogation methods including:
That this cogent little fact seems to have slipped the notice of the technique's practitioners whom the administration has tasked with their implementation is another thing. The identification of prisoners as "unlawful enemy combatants" has given the U.S. administration entitlement to pursue their agenda as they will, notwithstanding the moral stench that emanates from their deliberate suborning of human rights.
Pity.
Case in point, the recent news of the U.S. Congress stating unequivocally that it will not tolerate the use of torture on suspected terrorists by special U.S. forces and the CIA, both tasked to protect the good people of the United States of America and their government and their country. The United States, after all, has always been on the footing of a moral mentor to the world. Absent the occasional slip-up in various parts of the world when they back the wrong dictator.
Yes, America is concerned about the state of the world in general, wishing in the great goodness of its collective heart, to ensure a general state of non-conflict and reasonable static for the good of all. Most particularly for the political aspirations of its own concerns, its own social and cultural needs, its own corporate prowess in furthering the economy of that great nation. Why would they be otherwise inclined?
To their own self-interests firstly, then to the general stability of the world at large. Still proving in its own authoritarian way to be the general conscience of the world, with some notable lapses in judgement. They earn at the very least a B-minus. Of late the scale has slid backward somewhat alarmingly, but there is always the future. Which will kick in when the greater American voting public finally has its way.
Until then the administration they helped to install, and which has reflected the hard-right agenda of the sizable proportion of family-values-oriented, "heritage"-committed religious right will continue to wag the dog. Under which administration stealth was employed to install a method of prisoner interrogation that doesn't flirt with torture, but actually goes out of its way to inflict it, unflinchingly.
Interrogation methods directed toward "irregular" prisoners defined as those apprehended in a theatre of war who are not part of a regular army, but are instead recognized as insurgents, guerrillas, or terrorists - human beings, withal. But for the purposes of this administration, not subject to the protections offered under the Geneva Convention. For this special group there are a number of extraordinary interrogation methods including:
- The Attention slap, the belly slap.
- Long time standing where prisoners are handcuffed and forced to stand with feet shackled to an eye bolt installed on the floor for more than 40 hours. Exhaustion and sleep deprivation result in confessions.
- The cold cell, where prisoners are left naked in a cell whose atmosphere is held to 50 degrees and during which time the prisoner is doused with cold water.
- Water boarding which translates as the prisoner being bound onto an inclined board with feet raised and cellophane wrapped over the face while water is poured over. The gag reflex is aroused and a fearsome replication of drowning is the result.
That this cogent little fact seems to have slipped the notice of the technique's practitioners whom the administration has tasked with their implementation is another thing. The identification of prisoners as "unlawful enemy combatants" has given the U.S. administration entitlement to pursue their agenda as they will, notwithstanding the moral stench that emanates from their deliberate suborning of human rights.
Pity.
Labels: Crisis Politics, Justice
posted by Pieface | 5:43 PM
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