Gonzales: Torture "may be necessary in the future"

[ProSense]

Torture "may be necessary in the future"

by David Waldman

Dan Abrams interviews Bush Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales.

You should read the whole thing. I should read the whole thing. But there's one thing I want to talk about in isolation, because it's important no matter what else got said in that interview.

Abrams asks about the release of the torture memos, and Gonzales has this to say:

They may be necessary in the future. And by disclosing it, means you take them off the table and they can never be used again.

They may be necessary in the future.

Let's unpack that. Republicans are unapologetic about the use of torture. We knew that. Republicans think it might be necessary again in the future. We probably knew that, too. But it's the implications of that statement I think Congress and Democrats in particular are unprepared for.

First, it is a reminder of the fact that while the U.S. is supposedly not currently engaged in such practices, they've been suspended under executive order. It is, in short, a reminder that the United States only honors its legal and constitutional prohibitions against torture when the chief executive wills it to be so. And politically, that appears to mean we only honor those obligations when Democrats are elected to the White House.

In other words, the election of Barack Obama alone has not changed torture's legal or constitutional status in this country, and it is at best a temporary respite only from what has admittedly become a staple of the Republican theory of governance. It's not just that torture has become an acceptable tool to Republicans. It's that it is now a tenet of Republican political philosophy that illegal and unconstitutional practices can be sterilized by order of the President.

more

They Are Telling Us They Will Torture Again

[tanyev]

1. You first, Fredo.

[librechik]

2. Whoever does it better know they are Breaking the Law and will pay the price

sigh

if we can possibly make that so on the current cases...

[ProSense]

8. This is basically Gonzales pulling a Rice

implicating Bush.

They can no longer use the good faith argument, which was bogus anyway.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. Gonzales tortures us every time he opens his mouth.

[DebbieCDC]

4. OK, let's try it on Gonzo then to get him to talk

[Cha]

5. That's stupid prediction

if I ever heard one.

[rug]

6. We may need the Constitution in the future.

[muntrv]

7. Let's start on the reich wingers.

[YvonneCa]

9. Scary. Here's video on the torture issue (Bill Moyers)...

...from last week, in case you missed it. Something to think about...

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05012009/watch.html

[Supersedeas]

17. thanks for the link Yvonne

[YvonneCa]

18. You are very welcome. It's quite an interesting...

...discussion, about 30 minutes long. It left me with more questions than answers, but it was very worthwhile viewing, IMO.

[stevenleser]

19. I need to watch the whole thing. good stuff for first few min

Thanks

[YvonneCa]

20. You are most welcome. n/t

[Canuckistanian]

10. Republicans = torture

Either torture ends or Republican rule ends. Either will do.

Because together, there's no hope for America.

[bottomtheweaver]

oops

dupe delete

[bottomtheweaver]

11. No self interest there, nope.

This guy is kind of not so subtle. Still scary though, like the rest of them. K/R

[Hekate]

12. If ever we need our logic tortured we know where to find you, Alberto. Meanwhile...

.... Hm, I was going to say stfu, but the more the Bushites try to explain themselves the worse they look to the public.

Hekate

[Rosa Luxemburg]

13. the old junta is still around?

[TheKentuckian]

14. They truly hate America

I mean some parts of the land mass they are okay with but they truly hate the concept of America and the the ideals we are supposed to represent.

I guess the caves were too big a move for this bunch. I'm sure in their hearts they feel it all came apart at the seams when we came down from the trees. Neanderthal is way too advanced for these folks. In fact, primate seems a few beats too fast as well. I think they must spring from possums, curling up in fear or lashing out wildly in the dark.

Fucking Dark Age style cretins at best. Like the Nazis but only two thirds as evil and a quarter as smart.

[vaberella]

15. Since he just admitted to the crime can we prosecute him? n/t

[Supersedeas]

16. Apparently the concept of 'law' has escaped the former Attorney General

What makes the law is its stability that it is not relative to people/persons?
The current President has reaffirmed the law. The law is now binding.

Apparently, the former Attorney General maintains his relativist inclinations.
He wants the law to apply to others, other administrations, not his, not some future Administration that wants to break the law and torture. The Attorney General is advocating for a system of law that recognizes exceptions for certain people and certain 'special' interests or groups.

What kind of law is that?

[TankLV]

21. We'll keep that in mind after we arrest you, gonzo! Thanks for the heads up!