As do I.
Fox News interviewed Dick Cheney this weekend about the Obama administration's decision to investigate the CIA's interrogation methods.
Huge mistake, guys. I said before, even if you're going to turn to less controversial methods of interrogating prisoners, don't tell anyone. If you have the reputation of the Huns, you won't have to resort to using barbarous methods as often. Your detainees are going to be too scared to test you.
Issues of image aside, Cheney brings up a good point. President Obama made it clear on several occasions that he would not hold agents responsible for actions sanctioned by the previous administration. Now, Eric Holder is launching an investigation of those same people, and the president is holding up white-gloved hands saying "Hey, this isn't my thing."
That's terrible. The president is the Commander in Chief, it's within his power to call off the hounds in that particular case. Not doing so sets a very bad precedent. Sometimes, in extreme cases, terrible things must be done in the interest of the greater good. Shouldn't we have a monster in our corner that we're willing to unleash in such instances? Might not it take a beast to fight a beast?
If the people who are actually willing to do the dirty work have to be afraid that their government is going to hang them out to dry when it becomes politically advantageous to do so, no one is ever going to be willing to take that step.
Look at it this way. Soldiers do terrible things in war. They have to. It's their job. Would anyone become a soldier if they knew, once they got home after a tour, they'd be put in front of a tribunal for war crimes? We're not talking about the handful of men that lose it and fall to depravity, we're talking about the every day soldier, who shoots men on the front lines because his country told him to do so. Who would be willing to take that job if they knew they were coming home to face murder charges.
As always, you're welcome to chime in. I've proven to be little more than a cold-hearted whack-job in some of your eyes. If that's the case, let me know. I'm interested in seeing your side.
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I think the responsibility lies at the top of the administration that asked for torture to begin by renaming it as “enhanced interrogation techniques”, (even Ronald Regan, called the practice of torture “abhorrent”), is anyone surprised that Cheney is now crying about the investigations.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dick Cheney, for saving the United States of America. But seriously, folks….
ReplyDeleteIt sure is fun watching poor old Dick Cheney stumbling all over the right wing airwaves, desperately trying to poison the jury pool and dodge a VERY long stretch in a federal prison. I only saw clips of his “interview” with Chris Wallace on FOX Noise on Sunday. Someone described it as a starry-eyed teenage girl interviewing one of the Jonas brothers.
It sure is funny observing the meltdown of Dick and Liz (Cheney – not Burton and Taylor). The trillion dollar hammer is about to hit the fan. They’re like cornered rats. Oh, man! I’m lovin’ this!
Don’t take your eye off the Cheneys. For your best entertainment bargain, these two are the show that should not be missed. We’re talking essential viewing here!
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan, Goshen, NY
The hammer is about to hit the fan, huh? Not an idiom with which I'm familiar, but I certainly like it.
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