TORTURE

It’s become a daily event for most Americans to endure the torture of the “torture talks”. As the Bush administration back peddles across Asia taking an obvious change of tone toward his war critics, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney keep shop at home, up to their eyeballs in debate.

Clearly the United States Government underestimates the American people by pretending as if “torture” methods are uncommon in intelligence gathering missions. Do they really expect us to believe that the Senate could actually pass a measure requiring U.S. troops to follow certain interrogation procedures that would work?

Think about it, would Abu Ghraib have happened if we had those procedures?

Absolutely.

Trying to say that the soldiers didn’t know they couldn’t act like that is as asinine as saying that most people do not understand right from wrong.

The point is this, for years our government has acted covertly and sometimes openly to dominate and take control of situations they deem as “threatening”, whether other nations pose a true threat or not.

Look at the CIA. Ever since President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, the CIA has been linked to death and government overthrows in countries like Iran, Guatemala, Haiti, Vietnam, Cuba and many more.

Our government has always operated under a shroud of secrecy and in some instances they felt they had to in order to maintain the quality of life in America we know today. So how are we surprised and outraged when the horrific tales of abuse and scandal leak into our homes every morning with the daily news?

Blinded by shock and outrage, our fair nation fails to realize that our society itself has glorified these tactics. Look at our entertainment industry for example. The movies that gross the most money are often spy films or adventure movies like “Mission Impossible” to the James Bond series or even the humorous Austin Powers films.

Every year U.S. citizens have begun sacrificing more of their rights and have handed over the decision-making and the reasoning to our elected leaders in exchange for “security.” In fact we have empowered the government to run freely and without question.

And now we are shocked by how the system operates? It cannot work both ways. If the citizens of this country are outraged, then they must stand up. Otherwise, we will continue to be led by people who will openly and blatantly lie to protect their own interests.

“The history of the United States military is clear. Torture doesn’t work,” Donald Rumsfeld said. “The military knows that. We want our people treated humanely.”

Case and point.