I’ve been watching and reading about the growing evidence that torture was authorized at the highest levels of our government. It sickens me. And the “ends justify the means” argument that has been presented by a dwindling number of Bush apologists is equally horrific. Every actual interrogator who has been interviewed has said they could have elicited the same information without resorting to torture, and that information obtained under such tactics is unreliable. Also, that the information we received was minor when compared to the damage these actions did to America’s standing in the world.
Aside from all of these specious arguments — what happened to the rule of law? The measure of a great country is that it keeps to its values and ideals in bad, and frightening times as well as in the good times.
I’m also linking to a fascinating New York Times article that points up the horrible dangers when people don’t know history. The men and women who authorized these techniques had no idea of their dark and murderous history, or even where they originated.
One other little tidbit. The term Enhanced Interrogation was first coined by the Gestapo. Verschaerfte Vernehmung.
Oh, that’s a precedent I want to follow.
