The Torture Debate, Cheney, Obama, and the First 100 Days
Bloggers on the torture controversy, Cheney, Obama's 100 days, and Levi Johnston's possible tell-all
Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:
The Coming Torture Wars
We've been talking about the torture controversy for almost a week now, and it's looking more and more like this is a story that's here to say. Many bloggers are using this op-ed by a former FBI special agent and this op-ed by Republican Congressman Peter Hoekstra as a jumping-off point for the debate. Thomas E. Ricks can't believe it's come to this (video). Conservative Mary Kate Cary talks hypocrisy. Liberal Kevin Drum throws the term right back in her face. Pete Abel argues for why the administration should release all the torture data. Conservative Mike Devine is plain old angry at Obama, and rants more than a little. Chris Rovzar explains the difficulties involved in prosecuting the Bush lawyers: "It will likely take months for lawyers, an irate Congress, distracted White House, and defensive Bush administration to pick through and parse all of this." And conservative Philip Klein discusses the morality of torture: "Even if we concede that waterboarding is torture ... not all forms of torture are created equal.... After all, the Nazis, like Americans, used guns, but they were used in different ways to achieve different ends."
Everybody Hates Cheney
So maybe it's not fair to say everybody, but more than a few find the former vice president's words repugnant. People like Meghan McCain. Or liberal David Quigg. Or Andrew Sullivan, who writes: "Torture is the weapon of cowards and bullies and monsters. Cheney is all three. Prosecute him." Liberal Jeff Schweitzer sums up Cheney's arguments, and then responds to them: "He believes, and has explicitly stated, that the ends (our security) justify the means by which we achieve that security. That perspective denigrates our history as a nation, and ignores the principled sacrifices of those who came before us." Liberal Steve Benen makes the case that Cheney is wrong. Greg Sargent thinks that the torture controversy has now ensured that Cheney and Bush will "continue to define the GOP in the public mind at a time when the party was hoping to rise from the wreckage of his personal unpopularity." Radley Balko thinks Cheney's own record makes his arguments seem hollow. The above being said, let's close with the (very, very small) minority of the blogosphere that's backing Cheney up. Conservative Warner Todd Huston whips back: "Cheney has not once been seen bellowing like a gored oxen at campaign rallies ... he has been engaged in calm, serious and logical discussions of policy. Cheney has been the very model of dignity and seriousness."
The First 100 Days
April 29 is the mark, and as the date draws near, everybody's going to be talking about the president's first 100 days in office. Here's a taste of what you're likely to see: polls that put Obama's favorables pretty high, despite the fact that the number of people who think he's a socialist is rising. Which isn't to say socialism is a bad thing. There will be photo galleries of all things President Obama, and retrospectives, and even comparisons to President George W. Bush. Some will be all praise for what the new president's accomplished. Others will take the occasion as an excuse to lambaste Obama's detractors. And don't forget about all the new political ad campaigns either.
... Meanwhile ...
The U.S. government gives up subscriptions to print newspapers... A tell-all?! By Levi Johnston?! About the Palins?! Quite possible... The solution to all of journalism's woes... And foreign money buys votes in Lebanese elections.
Reader Comments
Definition of War Crimes
An earlier contributer wrote, "The ONLY possible [war] "crimes" are when you purposely target civilians (like our enemies did at 911) OR if you kill the enemies held in custody."
The Geneva Convention (which the US signed) defines war crimes as, among other things, "...wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement of a protected person... ' [Article 147 of the 4th Geneva Convention]
A "protected person" is defined as "those who, at a given moment and in any manner whatsoever, find themselves, in case of a conflict or occupation, in the hands of a Party to the conflict or Occupying Power of which they are not nationals. Nationals of a State which is not bound by the Convention are not protected by it." [Article 4]
Nearly all of the 200 or so nations have signed the Geneva Convention, and therefore their nationals are protected. These include all nationals of the two nations we currently occupy: Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some argue that terrorists (and suspected terrorists) are not included. However, the convention states that its protections "cover the whole of the populations of the countries in conflict, without any adverse distinction based, in particular, on race, nationality, religion or political opinion, and are intended to alleviate the sufferings caused by war." [Article 13]
Iraqi and Afghan nationals have been abused in custody during the occupations [using methods previously condemned and prosecuted as torture by the US] and even the Pentagon admits that a number have died under interrogation. By definition of the Geneva Convention, war crimes have been committed. These should be investigated and those responsible prosecuted, be they Republican or Democrat.
Thank You Dick Cheney!
I want to personally thank Dick Cheney for the privatizing of much of the US Military branches.
When he orchrastrated the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq , I knew he was a great businessman.
Since he's done that my Halliburton stock has gone right through the roof.
Thank You Dick Cheney!
Thank You! So Much!
Debate?...All part of Obama's continuing campaign
Obama and his media spin machine are doing everything they can to divert attention from our slide into Socialism. Degrading and discrediting ANY conservative opinion even though there's a strong 47% of us that didn't vote for him. The more the voting public begins to actually educate themselves, the more they see where we've been and where Obama/Pelosi/Reid are taking US.
I've never really understood the term "War Crimes" anyway. War is dirty-ugly business and people die. The ONLY possible "crimes" are when you purposely target civilians (like our enemies did at 911) OR if you kill the enemies held in custody.
I'd rather we pour water own our enemies face instead of shaking their hand or bowing at their feet.
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