Recent News reports that Obama says those who actually did the physical torture of detainees cannot be tried for their crimes because they were “just following orders.” On the other hand, “those who ordered the torture cannot be tried as they only ordered it – They did not physically participate in the torture.” Therefore no one can be tried for torture. This is a perfect case of Circular Logic.
And a Carbon Copy of the Nuremberg Defense used by Nazi Torturers. Which didn’t save them. Bush, Obama, Congress, Cheney, Political Parties, people, are you listening?
Further the news released about the torture techniques left the impression (by making the claim) that the ordering of torture also made clear that the detainees were not to be physically harmed. And the inference was that none were actually harmed, (thus the claim water boarding used only three times). You’ve all read it, heard it, and seen it.
Problem is, hundreds of detainees were tortured to death. So by what means were they killed? Manadel Al Jamadi was tortured to death at Abu Gharib by Palestinian hanging.
In the Documentary “Taxi to the Darkside”, is a story, among others, of a detainee who was beaten so severely on the legs over a period of weeks that his leg bones were crushed to mush before he died. In this Documentary the testimony of the torturers is given by the torturers personally.
Hundreds of detainees have been tortured to death, but I don’t recall in all this news gush that there ever was a mention that any detainee was actually ever physically hurt. Do you recall hearing about anyone actually being physically harmed? Tens of thousands were tortured, but none were ever physically harmed, or so they say, and I question if none were ever harmed, why did those detainees die during this “non-physical” torture?
What do you think the message of this news spate is all about? Could it be “ We never tortured anybody, and even if we did, nobody was ever hurt”? You think the message might be seeds to sell a horrific lie?
Thank you Steve for the following:
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, – for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension- the truth, is the greatest enemy of the State.”
Joeseph Goebbels
29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945
“Naturally the common people don’t want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same for any country.”
Herman Goering to Gustave Gilbert at Nuremberg, 18 April, 1946
6 comments ↓
Criminals protecting criminals. Isn’t that just what thugs, um, I mean politicians – do?
I have a feeling that we’ll get more secret memos about this administration too. But, those will be released sometime around 2016. The cycle continues. Stop voting for these crooks!
We voters have allowed this criminal activity to linger for many years going all the way back to the days of Nixon, and farther I’m sure.
I watched a Bush Administration guy today on C-Span. Very smug and arrogant. He said “No one was tortured during the Bush Administration”. One more TV show that talked about torture, yet failed to mention that anyone died from it. Not even when the guy said ” for it to be torture, there had to be pain or physical injury involved”. He wasn’t challenged by the host.
Cliff – great point about the arrogance. That’s exactly what happens when politicians aren’t held to task for violations of power. I believe they’re getting more and more brash and arrogant every year. A dangerous place we live in these days…
He had his spin down pat. Anybody who called in with a difference of opinion from his was greeted with a smirk and a declaration that they were either wrong or didn’t know what they were talking about.
He was the essence of the Bush Administration.
I put a copy of the Nuremberg Principles, heading it Lest we forget as my comment on another blog (on an article on CD). It produced no comments of any kind. Might as well have saved my fingers.
Remember, the Dims are as guilty as the Cans as far as approving aggressive war, allowing torture, supporting war profiteering, etc., not to mention destruction of the Constitution as a working document. They are all, with only a very few exceptions, guilty and should be subject to impeachment and trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity just as the last administration and, sadly, the current one, too.
However, since they are the ones charged with the duty of impeachment and remanding for trial and are also guilty of the same crimes, the chance of justice in the United States is probably non-existent unless we throw them all out.
This is much like the recently concluded IDF investigation of the Israeli attack on Gaza, which concluded that there were no war crimes or excessive violence against the people of Gaza committed by the IDF. End of story.
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