joether
Posts: 5195
Joined: 7/24/2005
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The 'ticking timebomb' mentality, was the justification to use 'enhanced interrogation techniques' on 'enemy combants'. Lets break the G. W. Bush administration's bullshit down into real terms:
'Enemy Combatant'.
Did we declare war on Al Qaeda? The simple answer is 'No'. Al Qaeda is not a nation, so Congress declaring war on them would not work. But it worked in the Bush administration's favor, because many treaties the nation holds world-wide would dictate anyone caught during fighting with our forces would be subjected to the Geneva Conventions related to Prisoners of War. That those POW's would be treated at a much higher level than 'enemy combatants'.
Further, the G. W. Bush administration decided to transport them to a small chunk of land on Cuba rather than any of the fifty states of the nation. Why? That administration lied about the 8th amendment. One of the first things most law students are taught is that the purpose of the US Constitution is to explain the powers of the federal government, and its limits to.....ALL PERSONS...found under its control. Would the enemy combatants, whom are controlled by the US Military, whom is controlled by the US Government, be limited by the 8th amendment? 'Yes'. But anyone daring to say that during that administration was branded 'a sympathizer to evil' And that is how tyranny can start; being afraid of holding government accountable and responsible when it does something wrong. All those that re-elected Mr. Bush to a second term, either didnt know the 8th amendment existed, or, were fully 'oik' with it being violated.
'enhanced interrogation techiques'
Basically, a politically correct way of saying torture. I have always found it amusing that every host on FOX 'news' and many conservative talk radio hosts, believe that water boarding is not torture. Yet, not a single one of them would subject themselves to the process to metaphorically.....'put their money were their mouth was'. They were all in lock-step with the G. W. Bush administration's viewpoint. In reality, water boarding....*IS* ....torture. So if that practice, or any of the other numerous practices explained in the Senate report are true; it is torture. And torture is not allowed per the 8th amendment. How many Americans could recite or explain what the 8th amendment covers?
'A ticking timbomb'.
The TV series '24' was known for this concept (apart from Keither Sutherland being tortured or torturing someone else). That the 'ends justify the means' when dealing with someone that might have intel regarding an imminent threat to people. The Senate report shows not one instance did the torture used, give 'actionable intelligence' of information. They used torture for the sake of torturing, nothing more. Many of those individuals probably viewed that if they gave any real intelligence, they would be killed by their jailers or by others once outside of that prison; what did they have to gain from it? In fact, many times, those individuals gave false or not-entirely-true information.
The G. W. Bush administration violated not only the 8th amendment, but the 5th and 6th amendments. If an illegal alien is pick up by the police for 'bordering hopping', they do receive legal counsel even if they cant afford it (found under the 6th amendment). If that was true for a non-US Citizen, would it be the same for a foreign national terrorist? 'Yes'. So why was the members of that administration not held accountable and responsible with their power by those whom elected them to office? Because to those people, the 'ends justify the means'.
What does it mean to be an enemy combatant?
You have no freedoms nor even simply human dignities, and the government can do....anything....to you, including torture. Curious how over fifty million Americans are 'ok' with this view point, since they reelected Mr. Bush back in 2004. I suspect some of our more....conservative/libertarians....on this forum also support the notion of 'enemy combatants' and 'enhanced interrogation techniques'. They just cant say it publically. But if you touch a single hair on their head, or touch their guns, they will cry foul louder than a E.L.E. event on planet Earth!
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