Listen to the Right long enough, and you will hear the exact opposite thing come out of their mouths. Unlike the rest of us who change our stances from time to time, they won't even realize that it is a contradiction (even when you point it out to them). Part and parcel with this is their failure to take their own arguments down the path to their own logical conclusion. All of this because of Republican "certainty," that we are right and righteous in all cases, therefore any position they take is the correct one. As stated in the movie, "Doubt" "Certainty is an emotion, not a fact."
Right now, Gitmo's closure is the perfect example.
Forget what we know to be fact, that the symbol of Gitmo has lowered the world's opinion of America, making allies and potential allies less willing to give us the benefit of the doubt or assist us in fighting terrorism. Forget that many experts and military officers agree that Gitmo (along with Abu Ghraib) is one of the best recruiting tools that terrorists currently have in recruiting new talent. Instead, let's look at some of these fun facts:
- The stated reason for the creation of the prison at Gitmo was the fear that once these detainees were brought to American soil, then they would be bestowed certain rights. Now, how our actions overseas should be different than those here at home, or that people who are not born in American are somehow less deserving of justice, fair trial and humane treatment eludes me. I remember something in our founding documents talking about human liberties being "self-evident" and "inalieable." Seems like that would be the number one argument against them now being "alieable" for non-Americans. In any case, given that the Supreme Court has come down in two decisions and mandated a certain level of fairness and standards for these trials, not to mention the right of habeas corpus - coupled with the decision by judges, supervisors, and attorneys involved not to pursue certain cases due to the torture of the defendants, hasn't the justification for a prison on foreign soil gone by-by? I mean, it turns out that a lot of the rights you were hoping to divest from these people didn't fly, so why have it?
- Constant criticism from the Right states that Obama is naive b/c once you close Gitmo, what are you going to do with these guys? Well, in the words of Enik, the Head Sleestak from "Land of the Lost," - "Can I answer your question with a question?" So here it comes, What were you going to do with these guys? Seriously, were you just planning on keeping them in detention until they die never having once seen a courtroom or any arbiter who will make a judgment on whether they actually committed a crime. Eventually, they would have to go somewhere.
See, funny thing, many of the possible criminal trials that would have convicted these guys (you know, the ones that might actually have been guilty) were ruined b/c the information you are trying to use to convict them was obtained through torture. So if you are looking for someone to blame if these guys ever go free, blame good ol' Dick and George for torture, b/c it has precluded us from possibly convicting these guys. It's an interesting circle of Republican thinking, no? We have to torture for our safety, we have to keep these guys out of the fight, now we have to release these guys b/c we tortured them and can't get a conviction.
Why did we not have an exit plan for Iraq? B/c Republicans can't follow an argument past their own lips.