Posted on 05/10/2004 7:00:48 PM PDT by wagglebee
Thats all the explanation you need to grasp the exultation of the world at the video evidence that Americas hand has been caught in the torture-till. Educated people around the world know that Americans are the nicest warriors in history. Were the ones who dismantle torture chambers; remember? Were the ones who close those dungeons down. Were the ones who liberate concentration camps, feed the starving, tend to the ill and dying, teach the kids candy, chewing gum, and Whatcha know, Joe?
And, if its Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in charge, hell march the non-involved local folk from their homes to and through the camps to witness the gaunt bodies stacked like cord-wood in order to: a) give them a righteous stomach-full, and; b) make sure they dont try in their lifetimes to try to tell the world it didnt happen.
Thats what the EDUCATED people around the world know. Focus on that for a few seconds! And then, let it go. Forget it! At least forget it until the world becomes perfect. The best in anything are widely hated. And for no other reason!
The educated people know what is. The educated know you go to France if you want a really good quiche. You go to Russia if you want caviar. You go to Italy if you want to hear quality singing in the shower. You go to Finland if you want your war debts repaid. And you go to America if you want the worlds best treatment of prisoners of war. (A few other countries treat their prisoners as humanely as we do, but Americas wealth enables us to provide better meals, medical care, etc.)
Thats what is. But in the real world, what IS doesnt count. What counts is what your enemies can MAKE of what is. And what our enemies can make of the American mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners is limitless.
Weve always known these democracy-preaching infidels are the worst people on earth. is the message reverberating in every language spoken by Moslems from Arabic to Indonesian. And now the Americans have ADMITTED that theyre the worst people on earth! Listen to their apologies and their groveling for our forgiveness!
Its rough to be led away after being pronounced The Worst to know in your heart from your history that youre really The Best.
Only the smart and the brave around the world can now be expected to rise up and shout, This is not America. What we see in those pictures does not square with Americas lifelong tradition of humane treatment of war prisoners. Dont expect to hear that from the Arab Street, any mosque in the world, allies who cheer our military prowess only when were liberating THEM, or even Democrats who know they need a few good disasters to win back the White House and Congress.
The only group that could shout them down doesnt exist. That would be the International Association of Former Enemies of America who Were Lucky Enough To Become American Prisoners of War! Is this the ultimate disaster that impales Americas credibility and moral authority deep into the future? No way!
Enemies have a much better chance of demonizing you when historys wind is with them. Where is any previous accusation of American mistreatment of prisoners? It doesnt exist. By the second weekend of the Humiliation scandal the denouncements already began to ring hollow. No matter how hard our enemies -- over there and over here -- try to nail us on this one, the effect will be a little like pouring Chanel No. 5 perfume on a healthy skunk. Youll achieve a certain momentary fragrance, but its a losing battle.
The perfume of Americas past will waft pleasantly over the arena when the enemies run out of stink bombs.
And the Dump Rumsfeld campaign looks like a boxer who tired early in round one. Those top Democrats crying for Rumsfelds removal seemed to gag on their own insincerity and opportunism.
The truth is no helpless girl scout shivering in a mine field on a cold night. The word is out world-wide. No matter what they say about America, get there if you can. And send money back to those of us who cant go. And if theres ever another world war and Americas on the other side, by all means try to get yourself captured by THEM; and nobody else.
A veteran of OSS, the forerunner organization of the CIA, told me how they got all the vital information they desired from the German soldiers theyd captured in early 1945. They knew that every single German had been warned to fall, if possible, into American hands and definitely not into the hands of the Russians.
The OSS did not use torture, mistreatment, sexual humiliation, or angry dogs. They simply dressed up one of their own men in the uniform of a Russian colonel and let him hang out around the prison camp saying things like Da and Niet and making what sounded like other Slavic utterances.
The German prisoners looked bug-eyed when they saw him. And when the Germans would ask their GI captors, Whos he? the American would casually explain, Oh, thats Colonel Volkov. Hes our liaison with the Russian Army. All Germans who refuse to cooperate with our interrogators are handed over to Col. Volkov. He has a bus coming Tuesday night to take them all to a Soviet prison camp over in the Russian sector.
Rush and one of his callers were postulating today that if captives knew that they could be subject to "abuse" by the Americans, they might be more willing to talk. While not condoning the behavior of the US guards, this scandal might in some way act to get some prisoners talking.
Sounds like a PsyOp scene from Hogan's Heroes. Col. Robert Hogan has Sgt. Carter dress up as Hitler to achieve the necessary intimidation level. No torture, just mental/psychological suggestion.
the infowarrior
We have drugs that allow us to torture people without those people having any memory of it. After the information is received, they can even be persuaded that they have just enjoyed a pleasant experience.
It happens every day in your local hospital.
There are anesthetics that allow the surgeon or other tech to have his awful way with the patient--do that gruesome procedure, with the patient feeling every bit of the pain but other drugs keep him very still. However, the nature of the anesthetic is that they will not remember what happened, or what they said while under anesthesia.
These procedures are to benefit the patient, but not a few med pros have shaken their heads at the sci-fi existential guilt --inducing pain which is immediately forgotten--
It could be done to prisoners--it's already being done to your nearest and dearest.
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