T. Bubba Bechtel, a part-time City Councilman from Midland , TX , was asked on a local live radio talk show the other day just what he thought of the allegations of torture of the Iraqi prisoners. His reply prompted his ejection from the studio, but to thunderous applause from the audience:
"If hooking up an Iraqi prisoner's balls to a car's battery cables will save one U.S. Marine's life, then I have just two things to say: red is positive, black is negative!"
Given the behavior of our enemy (the fundamentalist Islamic terrorists), to me the usual arguments against torture (which I can see great merit in) don't seem to apply. They really only make sense when there is some reasonable probability that your enemy would reciprocate. In the current case, our enemy is already violating every conceivable standard of conduct in war, and shows no signs of abating. Under these circumstances, our refraining from the use of torture (however you define it) seems quite pointless to me – most especially if doing so lends our enemy any advantage whatsoever.
You are a neanderthal, you know. One of the things that makes us civilized, and one would hope better, certainly for winning the hearts and minds of those that would harm, or even support those that would harm us, is our not falling into that particular cesspool. You have shown me you are just another coward that will justify /any/ means to reach their end. Your words make me sick. There is nothing good that can come from torture - and "he started it" is something you should have learned is not an excuse back in elementary school. Shame.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how polarized this discussion (about torture) is. Those who react as I do find the preceding comment hopelessly idealistic and naive; an active denial of reality even in the face of existential danger. To the other side, I am a "neanderthal" and my words make them "sick."
ReplyDeleteThere doesn't seem to be much room for middle ground on this. Speaking for my neanderthal self, I refuse to submit meekly to the will of Allah's minions -- and I continue to oppose any of my country's policies (such as the unilateral abolition of torture) that aid our enemy in any way. On the day that Al Qaeda renounces torture and terror (and follows through), I'll reconsider my position.
Meanwhile, waterboarding jihadis looks like a great idea to me!