Most recently, the ACLU went to bat against the government in order to get the Yoo Torture Memos released to the public. And once it was, it became quite a read. It was once said that if the public knew half the things that the government was doing to screw them, they would have a revolutionary riot in the streets. That is why it is very important for all of us to be informed about what is being conducted in our name.
The issue of torture is one that not only measures the humanity of a country--especially in the way that it treats its citizens, but all people. If one were to go by the reports coming out of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, the United States has fallen way off the mark in terms of compassion, decency and ethics. This is especially so when it flies in the face of the Geneva Conventions. The legal trickery of that alone shows that our leaders do not feel any responsibility or compunction about how we, as a country appear to the rest of the world.
Instead, we are resting on our laurels in terms of the notion of "democracy." What is especially sickening is the fact that we are using democracy in name only--especially when it provides a smoke screen to hide the decrepit nature of the treatment that is occurring with how interrogation practices are being used against what the government terms, "unlawful combatants".
The outrageousness of torture being conducted in the name of the state is exemplified in the introduction of Mr. Yoo's treatise[emphasis mine]:
"In any event, our previous opinions make clear that customary international law is not federal law and that the President is free to override it at his discretion."
-Yoo, John. Memorandum for William J. Haynes IT, General Counsel of the Department of Defense. March 14, 2003: 2.
The way Mr. Yoo rationalized it, the President at any time could exact any type of torture which supercedes humanitarian and international law. That alone should send a chill down one's spine. Along with the Executive Orders that have been issued from the desk of Mr. Bush, this would be inching more towards an imperial presidency within the realm of fascism.
Throughout the 81 pages (yes, it is that long), one theme that has been repeatedly hinged on the fact that the we're in a state of war. In light of the powers that were given (and partially rescinded via the SCOTUS in terms of habeas corpus and not being jailed indefinitely) it would seem that we were in a "war". The main question is whether we are truly within "war time" as the Bush Administration would like us to believe.
As a result, there is a schizophrenic attitude that not only plays out in the memos, the policy speeches as well as the other performative acts that the Bush White House puts on in terms of trying paint a "positive side" to the occupation overseas. It is as if all the shallow talk wants the public to forget what has happened and only concentrate on the "good" that the surge is doing. But behind all of this double-speak, one must wonder whether the revelations of such acts have taught anyone a lesson.
But what still becomes a dirty reminder of such negligence are the pictures of humiliation and degradation that are shown in its grisly nature. The stances of the soldiers within the gaze of the camera eye as they openly cavort in their sadistic behavior should incite outrage and shame from the United States populace. What is even more is that these acts occurred as the result of de-humanization. Consequently, it should wake up the conscience and the soul of a country in which its name this has been done.
Although the Yoo Memos add another aspect to the issue of torture we cannot ignore, one has to wonder whether our collective memory is short when it comes to scope of these horrendous acts. Are we desensitized? Or do these issues strike at the heart of our consciences?
Or would you rather watch American Idol?
P.S. If one wants to get a good look at the entire torture issue, please watch on Google or in the theaters, Taxi to the Dark Side. I think it's rather amazing.
Update: Frontline did a documentary featuring John Yoo. There is an interview with him. It is interesting to read, especially in light of the torture memos.