The recent law signed by the shrub authorizing torture during interrogation, and the use of that information as admisible evidence in military tribunals is certainly a mockery of justice, but my question is whether International law will view these actions as crimes against humanity from a legal viewpoint. It does seem rather evident that torture called something else is still torture, and the US government is the agent perpetrating it on civilians.
When I read the headline regarding bush making a new law that his actions which go against the Geneva Conventions are self-declaired 'legal' I had to laugh. It goes back to the same strategy he has used for his whole presidency. Say it is so and it is. He may have found comfort that his neocon backed congress is behind his transparent attempt at circumventing international law, but will the rest of the internatinal community back themselves or junior?
I really recommend you guys watch the Power of Nighmares documentary. It explains the thinking behind the administration in ways I never understood before.
Yes, but if you were a government leader, would you allow your representatives in the Hague to vote against a country that would have you assassinated for doing so? A few countries will stand up to the U.S., but it's unlikely that a majority of the World Court would do so, especially knowing that such a verdict would have no effect anyway. The World Court determined that U.S. mining of Nicaraguan harbors was illegal, and the U.S. merely asserted that the Court had no jurisdiction. And friends of the U.S. can always repeat U.S. assertions that the methods used will fall short of "real" torture. I.e., they'll stop short of branding people with red-hot pokers or skinning them alive.
As a nation which flouts international law, it is the US itself which is a "rogue nation". Chomsky is right about this. Bush believes the US should not be subject to international law, but should be able to do anything to any nation at any time. In the Project for a New American Century, this doctrine is set out as the principle of "full spectrum dominence". This is the same document that stated that in order for the American people to be willing to accept all the measures necessary for world hegemony, there had to be a "New Pearl Harbor" incident that would shock people into giving unqualified support for these geo-political goals. And shortly after that, a "New Pearl Harbor" incident happened. Do you believe this was a coincidence?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Oct 19 2006, 10:27 AM) [snapback]335016[/snapback]</div> The new law specificly outlaws torture.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Oct 19 2006, 12:12 PM) [snapback]335077[/snapback]</div> A valuable comment from someone who thinks "liberals" are behind the move to make English the official language. Enough said.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pault842 @ Oct 19 2006, 12:16 PM) [snapback]335079[/snapback]</div> I cannot tell -- are you trying to be funny ? I would hate to think that you cannot distinguish between a label and the act itself.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jared2 @ Oct 19 2006, 12:30 PM) [snapback]335091[/snapback]</div> I thought you didn't stoop down to this level? C'mon, be the better BOY!! :lol:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Oct 19 2006, 01:39 PM) [snapback]335136[/snapback]</div> Hey, I admit I was wrong about Key Lay!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pault842 @ Oct 19 2006, 12:16 PM) [snapback]335079[/snapback]</div> I do not think you understand that you are in the midst of a pod of America haters still stuck in the 60's mentality who quiet themselves by chanting kumbaya when faced with the realities of the world. Unimportant to them is that most Democrats backed the law too - or the attempted power grab by the judiciary.
"Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war." ~Albert Einstein "War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious." ~General Smedley Butler "After every ''victory'' you have more enemies." ~Jeanette Winterson "The enormous gap between what US leaders do...and what Americans think their leaders are doing is one of the great propaganda accomplishments..." ~Michael Paren See link: http://antiwar.com/quotes.php
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Oct 20 2006, 07:57 AM) [snapback]335482[/snapback]</div> What's this? Another dbermanmd LIE? http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/27/con...m.ap/index.html "Democrats opposed the bill by about a 5-to-1 margin..." Surprise, surprise. I'll add it to the list. “Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.” -Daniel Patrick Moynihan
