Quote:
Originally Posted by minimin
I could care less about peoples hating America and its Arrogance..
But today Obama did something so politically and ethically wrong, he ruled out prosecution for CIA torture authorized by Bush. dumb, its like saying torture is okay
I think our problem is sometime we do think we are above other nations, we should prosecute these individuals who commited a crime.
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Is torture not okay? Exactly what do you define as torture? Waterboarding? Being kept awake for days? Being forced to listen to Britney Spears or Boy George for hours on end? All of these methods are used, and though they are unpleasant, none leave scars, or are life threatening. As a matter of fact, many US soldiers must endure these "tortures" in training, and other methods which are worse. Air Force survival instructors often have their fingernails pulled out in simulated torture, and this is just in training. It hurts, to be sure, but it doesn't kill or cripple.
Saddam was not shy about torture. He didn't mind having someone stand on the edge of a tall building and threaten to push them off if they didn't talk, and he tended to push, whether he got the information or not. He also liked to use things like sulfuric acid, electrical shocks, and even a large wood chipper which he used to shred his victims with. The lucky ones were fed into the machine head-first. The unlucky ones went in feet-first.
Obama couldn't prosecute, even if he wanted to. If he said he did, it was just political rhetoric. If Bush wrote down his intentions about interrogations, and said that they were okay, then they are. The war on terror was authorized by congress, giving the president the ability to make "findings", and these "findings" become law, which makes actions committed in their name legal. Congress can change or reverse these findings/laws later on, but the president would still be immune from prosecution, if you know anything about the article of
ex post facto.
If Obama had decided to prosecute, he would never have succeeded, and, on the slim chance he did, he would have opened the door against future prosecutions against himself if he were take similar actions himself (which may be likely), not to mention reducing the ability of future presidents to make quick decisions in a crisis without having to call a special session of congress.