Leon E. Panetta: No Torture, No Exceptions

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2008/0801.panetta.html

Leon E. Panetta
No Torture, No Exceptions


According to the latest polls, two-thirds of the American public believes that torturing suspected terrorists to gain important information is justified in some circumstances. How did we transform from champions of human dignity and individual rights into a nation of armchair torturers? One word: fear.

Fear is blinding, hateful, and vengeful. It makes the end justify the means. And why not? If torture can stop the next terrorist attack, the next suicide bomber, then what's wrong with a little waterboarding or electric shock?

The simple answer is the rule of law. Our Constitution defines the rules that guide our nation. It was drafted by those who looked around the world of the eighteenth century and saw persecution, torture, and other crimes against humanity and believed that America could be better than that. This new nation would recognize that every individual has an inherent right to personal dignity, to justice, to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.

We have preached these values to the world. We have made clear that there are certain lines Americans will not cross because we respect the dignity of every human being. That pledge was written into the oath of office given to every president, "to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution." It's what is supposed to make our leaders different from every tyrant, dictator, or despot. We are sworn to govern by the rule of law, not by brute force.

We cannot simply suspend these beliefs in the name of national security. Those who support torture may believe that we can abuse captives in certain select circumstances and still be true to our values. But that is a false compromise. We either believe in the dignity of the individual, the rule of law, and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, or we don't. There is no middle ground.

We cannot and we must not use torture under any circumstances. We are better than that.

[bemildred]

1. Gee, I sure hope this is OK with DiFi. nt

[Windy]

2. There is a reason why DiFi was not consulted... she was in bed with Bush

on torture, etc...

She can complain all she wants but when you lie with wolves, you have to accept the consequences. To me its a signal that Obama intends to clean house.

[thunder rising]

3. Then it's OK for the foe to torture our troops right? right?

[ShortnFiery]

6. The USA was the vanguard nation supporting "The Geneva Conventions" - WE set the example as a leader

That's the onus of being "a first world" and "powerful military" SUPER-POWER NATION, we set the example for the World Community to emulate. The past eight years we have significantly lowered our moral compass and others readily followed.

In other words, taking the "moral high ground" is OFTEN painful but on the side of HUMANITY FIRST and ALWAYS.

[MasonJar]

4. We need to all contact DiFi and set her straight on opposing this

appointment. No torture for any reason is just what the CIA needs to hear. I intend to call her tomorrow. Panetta must be confirmed. He is the most solid appointment to date. Please call or e-mail her office.

[Seldona]

5. K&R nt

[Hydra]

7. If you do a little digging, you'll find we never really had much of a problem with torture

We're just looking a little embarrassed now since we pushed so hard at Nuremberg but refuse to hold ourselves to the same standards.

[rhett o rick]

8. Please elaborate on: "we never really had much of a problem with torture". nm

[Hydra]

10. The Bush administration would like you to believe that all of this just started

But you might find it educational to look into programs such as MK Ultra and the illustrious Dr. Cameron of said program.

The worst part of this is that it was American citizens, in that case.

Edit:

Vast irony that I was not aware of- "Cameron had also been a member of the Nuremberg medical tribunal in 1946-47."

It's a problem when others torture, but not us.

[rhett o rick]

12. I understand. But the Bush Admin came right out and said, in effect, we are going to torture

and the hell with the law, the hell with the Geneva Convention, the hell with world opinion and the hell with the citizens of the United States.

[Hydra]

13. Oh, I agree

The fact that it's out in the open makes it that much worse. Even so, I remember in the 80s, people I knew were in favor of torture to stop the red menace, as a personal example.

Really, from what I've read about before I was born and from things I've seen, we have a sort of societal agreement that if we do illegal things(and just plain horrible things), that it's justified in the name of "freedom."

After all:

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

[progressoid]

9. Yeah, public pronouncements and actual practice are two different things. eom

[rhett o rick]

11. There is no rational excuse for torture. The primary use of torture is terror.

The torturer wants to terrorize enemies and potential enemies by saying, "look what happens if you oppose me". This is Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gonzo, to a tee.

A second use of torture is to get the evidence you want. Bush used torture to get "evidence" of WMD to "sell" his war.

Another use is for confessions. To prove how successful you, the torturer are at solving crimes.

And torture is use by psychopaths for their own pleasure.

Those that believe that torture can save lives are truly ignorant and can not claim to be Christians.