Republicans: Fearing themselves to insignificance

The Republican Party is truly the ignorant, xenophobic fear-mongering party. See this video released by the Minority LEADER John Boehner... I think you will see why I am going to enjoy watching these radicals implode.

How to Break a Terrorist

I just watched a good interview on the Daily Show with a guy named Matthew Alexander who wrote the book "How to Break a Terrorist." This guy was an interrogator for the U.S. military and has been a part of hundreds of hundreds of interrogations, but now he is speaking out against the torture techniques.

Basically, he is saying that the best way to extract information from a prisoner is not to demonize them--by treating them like animals and putting them in pain (both psychological and physical)--but to understand them. Alexander is advocating that by coming to terms with insurgents, you can work to establish an agreement with the goal of helping Iraq in the best way possible.

In fact, he explains that the insurgents aren't ideologues like Al Qaeda; they are mostly regular people who fight for community or for money--suggesting that they would be much more than willing to cooperate if you build a bond of trust.

Alexander says that these methods are proven in many interrogations, but that the Department of Defense does not wish to concede that point--going as far as trying to stop the book from being published. He says to Jon Stewart: "I never saw coercive methods pay off..."--but rather rapport building and relationships yielded the results.

I think it's time that we find a better way. Isn't it obvious? We as a civilization are more advanced than any that has preceded us. Of course there is another way. We know what is right, so let's just do it.

Here is the interview:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Matthew Alexander

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Eric Holder: Legit Attourney General for Once?

Last semester, John Ashcroft spoke at Denison--he was the former Attourney General under President Junior, and a big supporter of the War on Terror, warrantless wiretapping, torture, etc. He spoke the typical rhetoric of spreading "freedom" and protecting Americans at whatever cost. I found him to be naive in his assumptions, and heartless in his justifications for revoking civil liberties. A Jordanian classmate of mine asked him what "freedom" truly meant, and if it was indeed democratic to impose our values on another people. He dodged the question.

And of course, our next AG was Alberto "I cannot recall" Gonzales--and because my words can hardly do these guys justice, I'll hand over the reigns to the Daily Show team:



It will be vital for the integrity of the nation that President Obama restore the justice to the Justice Department by appointing a passionate, honest, and talented Attourney General. One that will restore law and order, and resurrect Habeas Corpus. One who will lead the charge for human rights and end torture. One who will hold our leadership accountable. Eric Holder is the man President-Elect Obama has chosen, and I think he could be the man for the job--though I shall reserve my judgment until he proves himself as the nation's lawyer. There are critics of the man--in particular, Progressive critics on the left--but I'd like to show you an excerpt from Glenn Greenwald's reaction to the nomination:

The bulk of what I've read about and from Holder suggests, with a couple of ultimately marginal exceptions, that this appointment would be a very positive step. Digby yesterday quoted at length from an impassioned speech Holder gave in June of this year in which he condemned Guantanamo as an "international embarrassment"; charged that "for the last 6 years the position of leader of the Free World has been largely vacant"; complained that "we authorized torture and we let fear take precedence over the rule of law"; and called for an absolute end both to rendition and warrantless eavesdropping. He proclaimed that "the next president must move immediately to reclaim America's standing in the world as a nation that cherishes and protects individual freedom and basic human rights."

What's notable about this speech, in my view, is that the points he's making go well beyond standard Democratic Party boilerplate on these issues. More revealingly, the rhetoric he used is rather unconstrained for Washington, suggestive of actual passion and conviction on these matters.

Sound promising to me. But we shall see.

For more on Holder (positive and negative reactions) see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/19/reaction-round-up-eric-ho_n_144996.html

Water-Boarding: America's "Enhanced" Policy

I want to take a few minutes from studying for my history final to address the issue of water-boarding—the simulation of drowning. These days there has been much talk on the question of whether or not water-boarding qualifies as torture. The CIA calls it an “enhanced interrogation technique,” but many others call it a “terrible agony”—giving the feeling of complete disorientation, pain, and imminent death. My question: Is the United States government morally justified to use this method as a means to squeeze information out of suspected “terrorists”?

Before I continue, I would like my readers to watch this clip of a water-boarding demonstration. Keep in mind, this is not a real interrogation.



Recently, the CIA destroyed hundreds of hours of interrogation tapes, which depicted instances of water-boarding. We may never know the truth behind this cover-up, but I will say that I am very suspicious. Why wouldn’t the CIA simply classify the tapes like they do with everything else they want to be kept secret? Perhaps the suspects within the tapes were found to have no information after their “enhanced” questioning. It is more than likely that innocent individuals have been water-boarded by the CIA, which leads me to wonder if the ends justify the means? As my source below explains, the practice has supposedly worked in at least two high profile instances—but does this justify the mistakes? Does this justify the practice at all?

There is no doubt that water-boarding is indeed a form of torture. Just ask the man in the video. But there are many others who believe the same. Former U.S. deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage (who was water-boarded during his military training) says, “Of course water-boarding is torture. I can’t believe we’re even debating it. We shouldn’t be doing that kind of stuff.” It is a dated practice that has been used as a means of inflicting pain for hundreds of years; it was torture during the Spanish Inquisition, and it’s torture today.

To me, this is truly an atrocity. This is the kind of tyranny that the government claims we are fighting against. Our leaders say that the United States does not torture, but it is clear to me that they are nothing more than liars—as long as they can make up the definitions, they can do whatever they want. When will we wake up and realize that people hate this country for a reason? They hate us because of things we do to them—because of our lies and disingenuous policies. We overthrow governments, rip off third world countries, invade countries, falsely capture and imprison, suspend habeas corpus, and torture living, breathing human beings. I thought we were better than that—I thought America was the nation of justice— I thought this country had standards.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7139708.stm