[Vision2020] Iraq Abuse Business As Usual
Tbertruss@aol.com
Tbertruss@aol.com
Fri, 7 May 2004 17:02:04 EDT
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Visionaries:
Anyone who understands the nature of warfare in the context of the history of
US treatment of third world people should not be surprised one iota by the
prison abuses in Iraq that are now such a scandal. I find it astonishing that
there is so much moral outrage, as though people believed the "War on Terror"
would be fought by agents of the US with the "play nice" mentality of a
kindergarten teacher. We invade Iraq and kill and maim thousands and now there is a
moral crisis regarding our conduct because of some photos showing abuse at a
prison? Anyone who studies US prisons knows that homosexual rape of men, for
example, used implicitly and informally as a tactic of control and discipline,
is not exactly rare here right in the
US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When the "War on Terror" first became a "new" US policy after 9/11 there was
frank discussion in the media about the use of torture to gain information
from suspects. One of the tactics suggested to preserve our noble moral standing
as a nation that refrains from torture during interrogations (what a laugh!)
was to let other nations not bound by our human rights qualms do the dirty
work while US observers looked and listened. But anyone with a sense of reality
regarding the treatment of suspects in the "War on Terror," who defends the
polices of the Bush administration, should be justifying the use of these harsh
tactics depicted in the Iraq prison photos, to gain information that could
save US soldiers and US citizens lives in the War on Terror. Right? Consider
that Bush warned us of nuclear "mushroom cloud" over America that threatened us
from Iraq if we did not invade quickly. One of those Iraq prison inmates
might just lead us to those immanently threatening WMDs, if we use effective
techniques of "persuasion," right?
The Bush administration is caught in the contradictions of the its foreign
policy, between the demands, the realities of fighting a "War on Terror," while
we posture that we are bringing our noble and superior values to the middle
east through the use of force. War is an ugly nasty business that degrades and
destroys the veneer of civilized respect between human beings that is far more
easily stripped away from any one of us than most of us would admit! Put the
average Jane or Joe into a situation where their comrades are being killed
and blown apart by an "enemy," give them power in a prison over the group of
people who are seen as the "enemy," give them military training to kill and
injure and break down the "enemy" in warfare, and supply a high moral motivation,
"The War on Terror," and many of us, the kind and generous residents of Moscow,
Idaho, for example, would be posing in those photos.
Waging warfare is NOT consistent in its conduct with democratic values or
human rights. Those who think we can function as a nation in a "war" mode with
soldiers dying and losing arms and legs daily, and not resort to ugly treatment
of the "enemy," are living an illusion.
Ted Moffett
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><BR>
Visionaries:<BR>
<BR>
Anyone who understands the nature of warfare in the context of the history o=
f US treatment of third world people should not be surprised one iota by the=
prison abuses in Iraq that are now such a scandal. I find it astonish=
ing that there is so much moral outrage, as though people believed the "War=20=
on Terror" would be fought by agents of the US with the "play nice" mentalit=
y of a kindergarten teacher. We invade Iraq and kill and maim thousand=
s and now there is a moral crisis regarding our conduct because of some phot=
os showing abuse at a prison? Anyone who studies US prisons knows that=
homosexual rape of men, for example, used implicitly and informally as a ta=
ctic of control and discipline, is not exactly rare here right in the US!!!!=
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<B=
R>
<BR>
When the "War on Terror" first became a "new" US policy after 9/11 there was=
frank discussion in the media about the use of torture to gain information=20=
from suspects. One of the tactics suggested to preserve our noble mora=
l standing as a nation that refrains from torture during interrogations (wha=
t a laugh!) was to let other nations not bound by our human rights qualms do=
the dirty work while US observers looked and listened. But anyone wit=
h a sense of reality regarding the treatment of suspects in the "War on Terr=
or," who defends the polices of the Bush administration, should be justifyin=
g the use of these harsh tactics depicted in the Iraq prison photos, to gain=
information that could save US soldiers and US citizens lives in the War on=
Terror. Right? Consider that Bush warned us of nuclear "mushroo=
m cloud" over America that threatened us from Iraq if we did not invade quic=
kly. One of those Iraq prison inmates might just lead us to those imma=
nently threatening WMDs, if we use effective techniques of "persuasion," rig=
ht?<BR>
<BR>
The Bush administration is caught in the contradictions of the its foreign p=
olicy, between the demands, the realities of fighting a "War on Terror," whi=
le we posture that we are bringing our noble and superior values to the midd=
le east through the use of force. War is an ugly nasty business that d=
egrades and destroys the veneer of civilized respect between human beings th=
at is far more easily stripped away from any one of us than most of us would=
admit! Put the average Jane or Joe into a situation where their comra=
des are being killed and blown apart by an "enemy," give them power in a pri=
son over the group of people who are seen as the "enemy," give them military=
training to kill and injure and break down the "enemy" in warfare, and supp=
ly a high moral motivation, "The War on Terror," and many of us, the kind an=
d generous residents of Moscow, Idaho, for example, would be posing in those=
photos. <BR>
<BR>
Waging warfare is NOT consistent in its conduct with democratic values or hu=
man rights. Those who think we can function as a nation in a "war" mod=
e with soldiers dying and losing arms and legs daily, and not resort to ugly=
treatment of the "enemy," are living an illusion.<BR>
<BR>
Ted Moffett</FONT></HTML>
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