Hey Americans, the Pundits Blame You for Bush and Cheney's Torture Policies

[babylonsister]

Hey Americans, the Pundits Blame You for Bush and Cheney's Torture Policies

By Rory O'Connor, MediaChannel.org. Posted May 13, 2009.



In their mad dash to ensure that no one in the Bush administration is held accountable for torture, the media are putting the blame on all Americans.


What is it about torture that is so seductive to our mainstream media?

First, our leading (and often "liberal") commentators and analysts, writing in supposedly respectable publications such as Newsweek and The Atlantic, tried to appear as tough-minded believers in realpolitik by siding with such REALLY tough-minded believers as Dick Cheney when he led our country over to "the dark side."

Then multiple Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Friedman -- ever consistent and persistent in his excuse making for the powerful -- hailed, in a recent column, Barack ("Split the baby") Obama's "torturous compromise" to expose, but not prosecute, those responsible for violating our Constitution and international law by torturing in our names. This despite the fact that, as Friedman accurately noted, "more than 100 detainees died in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, with up to 27 of those declared homicides by the military. They were allegedly kicked to death, shot, suffocated or drowned. Look, our people killed detainees, and only a handful of those deaths have resulted in any punishment of U.S. officials."

Then Jacob Weisberg, chairman and editor-in-chief of the Slate Group, agreed with Friedman's contention that there should be no torture prosecutions because we had all "acquiesced" in the Bush-Cheney Torture Agenda; we were all "the President's accomplices," and thus "pursuing criminal charges would be too hard legally and politically and too easy morally.' According to Weisberg's twisted morality and logic, "Prosecuting Bush and his men won't absolve the rest of us for what we let them do."

His explanation for this astounding conclusion is simply that "everyone knew" about the torture -- so no one should be prosecuted for it:

"Congress was informed about what was happening and raised no objection. The public knew, too. By 2003, if you didn't understand that the United States was inflicting torture on those deemed enemy combatants, you weren't paying much attention. This is part of what makes applying a criminal justice model to those most directly responsible such a bad idea. The issue we need to come to terms with is not just who in the Bush administration did what but how we were collectively complicit in their decisions."

Unfortunately, seeing and hearing leading and allegedly liberal media figures such as Weisberg and Friedman blame the rest of us for the Bush-Cheney moral failings -- and then claim that prosecuting senior officials who break the law will "rip our country apart" -- has now become as common as seeing and hearing the likes of Newsweek Senior Editor and NBC News correspondent Jonathan Alter, or The Atlantic's National Correspondent Mark Bowden, say things like "In this autumn of anger, even a liberal can find his thoughts turning to torture," which can "be morally sound," as Bowden wrote. "It may be clear that coercion is sometimes the right choice."

more...

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/139994/hey_americans%2C_the_pundits_blame_you_for_bush_and_cheney%27s_torture_policies/?page=entire

[ShortnFiery]

1. We, The People are to blame IF we don't FORCE our gutless national leaders to do their damn jobs.

Yes, we are to blame for not standing up to wall street.

At this point, the only possible leverage we have with our CORRUPT, Corporate Controlled legislators is through UNION INVOLVEMENT.

It's going to take YEARS, DECADES ... perhaps we'll remain a fascist state ruled by Wall Street and The Pentagon.

However, we must try ... that's all we have is HOPE and NUMBERS.

BTW the Pentagon and Wall Street RUNS Barter Town NOW. It's all up to us "unwashed masses" to MAKE it change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcQQccvDl_w

[babylonsister]

3. This post has absolutely nothing to do with wall street or unions-

you're off on another tangent.

We're talking about placing the blame where it is due for the crap from the past 8 years.

Whatever.

[ShortnFiery]

4. It has everything to do with WAR which we are up in our necks in ... drowning the Nation.

Take your blinders OFF and realize that OUR country is a Right Wing Duopoly run by Wall Street and the Pentagon.

Yes, dammit, our democratic leaders and pundits did NOT serve the people.

However, in the end it's OUR fault because we elected these SMARMY bastards.

WE, NOT THE PUNDITS, NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

First to listen to people such as Thom Hartman, Ed Schultz, KO, and Rachael Maddow.

But no, we can't WHINE, we must ACT! :thumbsup:

[depakid]

2. Not to defend the reprehensible pundit class- but Americans ARE responsible

and America IS a nation full of torturers. That's plain for everyone to see on any DU thread involving crime & punishment or so called zero tolerance.

[babylonsister]

5. America is a nation full of torturers?

Sure it is. :eyes: I'm not one, and I'll bet no one on this board is. Do we want the truth to come out? Sure we do. I'd just like the blame to go to the ones this applies to, that's all.

[ShortnFiery]

6. Enablers? It's time to wake the fuck up and demand that our leaders do their damn jobs.

If you disagree, you will be dealt with by THE STATE. :scared:

[depakid]

7. Look at any thread on criminal justice (or juvenile justice)

Count the posts up for yourself.

This on a progressive site.