Spineless Senate Democrats And Guantanamo
Hmm…
For whatever reason when first hearing the news today about the spineless Senate Democrats in relation to Guantanamo, I thought of a term my brother Gary used often when I was younger back in Hancock. (Who knows, he still might use it.) Whenever he got angry at someone he would let loose with “Those pot-lickers.” I have never heard anyone else use the term. I never have used it in my life.
Until today.
When I heard the news that the U.S. Senate denied President Obama $80 million he sought to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, I uttered those famous words.
“Those pot-lickers!”
How dare the Democratic Senate throw aside one of the main issues that so many millions of folks such as myself worked and campaigned on during the last election. Closing Guantanamo is not a silly issue, but instead is a central issue to our nation,and our foreign policy. Thankfully Obama is still thinking logically and clearly, and stated again tonight that the White House would not delay plans to shut it down by early 2010.
America’s reputation in the world is one of the most pressing issues facing this country. We again need to nurture respect for American leadership around the world. Closing Guantanamo is essential as this place has rightfully earned us the scorn and anger from the world community. If we keep it open, we deserve the outcome.
But instead of thinking about the foreign policy implications of their actions, United States Senate Democrats bent to the fear thrown at them by the empty-headed rhetoric of the conservatives. Those same conservatives it needs to be noted who champion Dick Cheney as the architect of the problem that now needs to be resolved.
I can’t wait for the next phone call or letter asking me for donations for the Senate Democrats. I have a few choice thoughts for the person who happens to place the call to this home. And they can pay the postage in the return envelope for my printed thoughts if the solicitation comes in that form.
Democrats who do not understand, and conservatives that care not to understand, can tell those of us who do that we are not mindful of the tragic results that can result from the closing of this immoral place. The fact they do not understand the recruiting tool that Guantanamo has become is shocking, to say the least. To try and fear-bait about placing prisoners on U.S. soil is about the lamest argument that I have heard since……’there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”
We elected a Democratic White House and Congress to get the heavy work done. By the actions of the Democrats today we see that some old-fashioned ass-kicking will be neccessary with phone call and emails.
Guantanamo must close!
Reasonable:
So you’re fine with torture as long as you don’t have know about it. What moral weakness. Don’t spout off about all that close Gitmo crap if you just want it out of sight, “in the CIA, in back alleys, and used only when there are no other alternatives.” As a citizen at least have the guts to face it openly. At least I can say I’d gladly tortue–if waterboarding is torture–to save American lives. I know this is a terrible and sinful choice, but I’d take that upon myself. If my family or neighbors or countrymen were out there–hell, yes. But how can you manage that alternately self-righteous and twisted set of values you have on the subject?
For what it’s worth, my father routinely used the term “pot-licker” while I was growing up.
Well, Patrick, the US government built a special prison in a foreign country within two hours of DOD Washington DC and CIA Dulles to avoid the Constitution of the United States and the values we hold dear like ‘innocent until proven guilty’.There were plenty of US military prisons on US bases in foreign countries that could have housed these terrorists but DOD chose to build a special place on island known for human rights abuses.
I was, and still am, in favor of military tribunals for enemy combatants. I was, and still am, opposed to torture, torture systems, and bringing torture into the US military. It should have stayed a back alley CIA operation.
John McCain said(paraphrasing): No person in the custody of the US military should ever be harmed or tortured. The McCain Amendment says: “The first provision of the McCain Amendment provides that no person in the custody or effective control of the DOD or detained in a DOD facility shall be subject to any interrogation treatment or technique that is not authorized by and listed in the United States Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation.”
We should kill those who wish to kill us. We should do this with deliberate intent after considering their specific actions against us. We should not beat enemy combatants to soften them. We should not shove objects up the anus of 14 year old boys; nor should they be raped by their military interrogators.
If you have not read the Taguba Report, go do that. Or you can read ‘Torture and Truth’ by Mark Danner. You will then understand why Guantanamo needs to be closed. These things happened to people; not just terrorists.
Closing Guantanamo will represent an ending to the barbarism introduced into the US military through the establishment of a torture system. Let’s keep torture where it belongs: in the CIA, in back alleys, and used only when there are no other alternatives.
Close Guantanomo, use military tribunals to determine specific violent actions against us, and then kill, continue incarceration, or free the enemy combatants in our possession.
You have not read or heard anything about the international community in regards to this matter? No mention anywhere about the ‘rule of law’ and the way prisoners are to be treated in these conditions and the way the world has reacted to our perverion of justice? No mention in any of your readings how international meetings and events have registered negetive reaction to Americans involved in those meetings.
Wow!
Where does one buy rose colored glasses?
I’m happy the democrats have decided to do the right thing. Sure, they arrive there after the usual empty rhetoric that those who only criticize can enjoy, but I’ll take it. Now that Obama has to make decisions like an adult, rather than simply vote “present”, things must seem a little different. I just hope he gains the confidence to assert our national interests at some point. Telling the world how aweful we are only passes for leadership for so long.
Also, I’m just curious. What makes you suspect that closing Gitmo is a certral foriegn policy to anyone but liberals who are soft on terror? Where is the scorn and anger from the world community? Google “international outrage” and “gitmo” and you arrive at next to nothing. I just don’t see it, just isolated lefty groups who would hate the US regardless. What I see from the world community are two things. Those nations whose terrorist citizens are at Gitmo don’t want them back–hardly an endorsement of the agrieved status the left wants to assign to terrorists. Secondly, the world seems to recognize that Gitmo is essentially a humane prison for inhuman monsters.