The Vote: 90 to 9

[tw]

From the NY Times of 8 Nov 2005:

Pentagon Plans Tighter Control of Interrogation
Two department officials said that Vice President Dick Cheney's new chief of staff, David S. Addington, had continued to press senior Pentagon officials to eliminate language from the Geneva Conventions prohibiting "cruel," "humiliating," and "degrading" treatment. Other senior Pentagon and State Department officials, as well as military lawyers and the military's vice chiefs of staff support such language.

Mr. Cheney last Tuesday appealed to Republican senators in a private lunch meeting to exempt the Central Intelligence Agency from similar language that is contained in Mr. McCain's provision.

The defense officials said they believed a compromise version of the contentious directive could eliminate an explicit reference to the Geneva Conventions language and replace it with wording that captured substance of the prohibitions; for example, that humane treatment required provision of food, water, shelter, access to religious worship and a ban on torture.

IOW "god's chosen administration" wants torture to be legal - even though is was only enlisted reservists who performed torture in Abu Ghraid.

Cheney is campaigning to get phrases such as "cruel, inhuman or degrading" treatment removed so that torture remains acceptable. Why this particular phrase? Because that is the exact phrase from that evil UN Commission of Human Rights. A resolution based on American traditions that date back when religion had no place in politics. Remember those days when Americans feared the Catholic Church might tell Kennedy what to do?

Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Resolution 3452 adopted by the UN General Assemly of 9 December 1975:
2. Torture constitutes an aggravated and deliberate form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

That torture is wrong was based upon a document deeply based in American principles- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights approved on 10 December 1948

The Declaration recognizes that the "inherent dignity of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world" and is linked to the recognition of fundamental rights towards which every human being aspires, namely the right to life, liberty and security of person; the right to an adequate standard of living; the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution; the right to own property; the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the right to education, freedom of thought, conscience and religion; and the right to freedom from torture and degrading treatment, among others. These are inherent rights to be enjoyed by all human beings of the global village

You tell me. How is advocating torture any different from proclaiming some people as niggers? Do we just select which principles to honor when convenient? If torture is acceptable, then second class citizens must also be acceptable.

Unfortunately, those evangelicals who support this president also advocate torture. After all, what kind of people create a Spanish Inquisition? People who believe in rule of law? Or those who would promote their religious beliefs imposed on all other people? The Monty Python joke - "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" - was so funny because it was also true.

A House version of the same bill does not include restrictions on torture. Since the George Jr administration approves of torture, then they - especially Cheney - hope to remove the McCain amendment. They believe even some Cellar dwellers advocate torture as a tool in defense of the nation. Just that those evil UN General Assembly Resolutions, Geneva Conventions, and other treaties keep getting in the way of the 'Misson Accomplished' war.

Who are the nine Senators who also approve of torture - who voted against the McCain amendment as demanded by the George Jr administration? Allard (R-CO), Bond (R-MO), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Cornyn (R-TX), Inhofe (R-OK), Roberts (R-KS), Sessions (R-AL), and Stevens (R-AK).

Let's see. The language is specifically stated in the Geneva Convention and in UN General Assembly resolutions. Therefore it must not be part of US military manuals? Since god did not say so in the bible, then torture must be acceptable? Even Richard Nixon did not attempt to promote what evangelicals should call evil. Makes one wonder if their god really wears a red cape.

When was the last time you heard evangelicals call for impeachment for promoting torture? When was the last time an evanlegical leader proclaimed torture as evil? Even their chosen Vice President fears restrictions on torture - and they are not angry about it. It better be a really nice red cape.