You're No Reagan, II
Reagan signed the Convention Against Torture, which states:
"No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture."
Your President had his legal advisors prepare a memo proclaiming:
"The president, despite domestic and international laws constraining the use of torture, has the authority as commander in chief to approve almost any physical or psychological actions during interrogation, up to and including torture."
Link.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!: The Washington Post has the cojones to call it a duck:
This week, thanks again to an independent press, we have begun to learn the deeply disturbing truth about the legal opinions that the Pentagon and the Justice Department seek to keep secret. According to copies leaked to several newspapers, they lay out a shocking and immoral set of justifications for torture. In a paper prepared last year under the direction of the Defense Department's chief counsel, and first disclosed by the Wall Street Journal, the president of the United States was declared empowered to disregard U.S. and international law and order the torture of foreign prisoners. Moreover, interrogators following the president's orders were declared immune from punishment. Torture itself was narrowly redefined, so that techniques that inflict pain and mental suffering could be deemed legal. All this was done as a prelude to the designation of 24 interrogation methods for foreign prisoners -- the same techniques, now in use, that President Bush says are humane but refuses to disclose.
Read the whole thing. The free press awakes! You know how in every Lord of the Rings movie our heroes are surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, then some bright and powerful army comes storming over the hills with war trumpets blaring? Let us hope this is the first of a chorus of trumpets...
posted by Abe at 6/08/2004 05:21:00 PM
2 Comments:
Although it seems morbid to even ponder, let alone articulate publicly, whether the death of a human being is politically positive or not for one of the presidential candidates, my initial reaction was that Reagan's death would create an outpouring of support for Bush at Kerry's detriment.
But if anything, it more than anything shows the stark contrasts between Bush and Reagan, rather than any similarities.
Of course, Bush like Reagan is known for his uneducated answers when ad libbing off-the-script. Bush like Reagan also is known for frequent vacations and breaks for leisure. Bush is also well known for his over-reliance on his staff such that when they commit crimes, he's (they're) quick to plead ignorance (hello, Mr North).
The similarities sadly end there. Where's the fiscal responsibility? The downsizing of the federal govt? The emphasis on state's rights? Coalition building? Diplomacy, even? Where in Bush do you see "The Great Communicator"?
As the ceremonies move to the national scene tomorrow Bush and the Republicans should be careful. The day is different. People, the political landscape are polarized, not marginalized. Bush began his term promising bipartisianship, an end to Beltway politics. Unfortunately, the last four years have been everything but.
So go ahead and grieve for The Gipper, but be careful. You're not him.
Here
Upon learning of Reagan's demise, I felt no emotion. He was already dead, a reclusive shell ringing with the echoes of a forgotten past. But the aftermath of his passing has revived many of my unpleasant memories of the Reagan era. Bad as it was, I can recall a conversation with a friend and my son. I said, "I have never lived under a more corrupt administration than that of George W. Bush." My son was taken aback -- "B-but, you lived through Nixon, through Reagan." Yep. And they were Shining Lights compared to GW. And I don't mean corruption in the sense of self-serving governance (although Haliburton and its cousins lend ample evidence). The Administration is corrupt in spirit, devoid of the faith in democracy and the undying optimism that at least put that glint in Ronnie's eyes.
A couple days ago, my wife and I were shopping for a rose bush. A new variety is on the market, the Ronald Reagan hybrid. I said, "It's perfect. We can plant this about the same time they're planting him." No go. The wife growled, "I don't want anything named Reagan in my garden." So, we got an Abe Lincoln. With Reagan gone, I'll bet it does well. If Bush goes down in November, I expect our bush to thrive. Johnny Piano
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