Torture

This is my first post on a serious matter, and I believe it fitting to dedicate it to the tragedy and utter horror that was authorized by the previous administration.  There is something to be said about a government that seeks to legitimize an act that was declared criminal and illegal decades ago.  I found the memos difficult to read because of their blatant disregard for humanity, but by the end of the second it was clear the trend that was set during these past eight years.

The memos mark a clear attempt to use perverted logic and twisted semantics to achieve an end without regard to the legal and moral bounds that are placed upon our country.  As Andrew Sullivan points out, "Our standards are now lower for the US than they were once for Nazi Germany."

There is an obvious notion among the writers of the memos that they are arguing a position that is not orthodox, and feel the need to reference various sources for their creative and wildly imaginative versions of "torture" and "severe pain".  I'm no lawyer, but it is clear that international and domestic law were violated.

Obama today indicated that those that acted in good faith with the authorization provided to them would not be pursued.  Thus, it is reasonable to assume that if they acted in bad faith and didn't follow policy exactly as described, they could be prosecuted.

Personally, I don't think the average interrogator should be prosecuted for following orders, if they acted in good faith.  However, those decrepid jerks that issued the orders and those in the Dept of Justice that gave legal credibility to torture need to be put on trial for war crimes.  There is nothing else to describe what we've witnessed -- the forced inhumanity upon a human being is beyond the pale of civilized action.

It is because we are civilized and better than al-Qaida and other radical terrorist groups that we must diligently remain above them.  As the president loves to say, there is no reason for us to sacrifice our principles to achieve security.  Those that argue otherwise might like to take a look at what barbarism means for them.