Replies

>>...I am very encouraged by the outrage our nation has shown over the actions of these out-of-control prison guards....<<

President Bush spoke on Arabic TV regarding this issue. I believe he should address the American people also.

We pride ourselves in our humane treatment of enemy POW's. Whenever the enemy mistreats our guys we are rightously indignant and say we don't do that.

Well, we can't say that anymore. These morons have insulted our nation. They've caused us to lose face before the world.

I think this is big. It makes me sick.

You are going to catch hell for that comment, just now, by the troglodytes, the "my country, right or ugly", or the "Shucks, even Beelzebub could don a US military uniform and that would make him OK in my book"-crowd on FR.

You took the road less traveled. So did President Bush. So do most of the active duty military on FR about this issue.

And for THAT, you are liable to catch wrath and hell.

Your outrage is well directed, but I am a prosecutor and I believe that bad people are the ultimate reason things like this happen. I believe the measure of a system is how it responds to the actions of bad people. Under Saddam those who were effective at torture and humiliation of prisoners were promoted and decorated for their actions. Under our constitutional republic such actions MUST must be met not with approbation but with condemnation AND punishment.

A nation deserves no shame for producing bad people: I bet there are thousands in the U.S. today who are morally worse than Hitler or Saddam. A nation does deserve shame if they fail to punish bad actions by any person or, much worse, they allow a bad person to lead and become accomplices in their leaders crimes (Hitler did not carry out the Holocaust alone, it took the efforts of a significant proportion of the German nation and the inaction of the rest).

Fair minded people will judge our reaction to the actions of these prison guards rather than holding all Americans responsible for the reprehensible actions of a few. (Note: Al Jazeera and the far left do not count as fair-minded people, so brace yourself for a propaganda blitzkrieg)

I would argue that this is as much an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how the rule of law is to be maintained as it is a scandal. I think the ultimate imprisonment of those proven responsible will be a strong message to the world that democracies do not tolerate such actions. I suspect Lynndie England will be in the vanguard of the parade to Fort Leavenworth, and that she probably deserves to be.