Comments on: In Defense of Waterboarding http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/ Forward Movement Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:04:43 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jules Crittenden » Water Over Dam http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/comment-page-1/#comment-55357 Jules Crittenden » Water Over Dam Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:06:18 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/#comment-55357 [...] In Defense of Waterboarding. It gets Mark Bowden’s vote, and mine. [...] [...] In Defense of Waterboarding. It gets Mark Bowden’s vote, and mine. [...]

]]> By: rxfxworld.blogspot.com http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/comment-page-1/#comment-47139 rxfxworld.blogspot.com Tue, 25 Dec 2007 23:51:07 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/#comment-47139 Apologists for torture like Mr. Bowden like to think they can get away with the following (from his screed): "While the chance of further murderous attacks is always with us, it is fair to say few of us feel the same measure of alarm we did then. The diminishment of this threat is at least in part due to the heroic efforts of the CIA, the military, and allies around the world in targeting terrorist cells." I may be one of the few(I doubt it's a few) who feel an even greater measure of concern and fear. Not only do I feel less secure regarding future terrorist attacks because of the plain intentions of people like Zabaydah, nor only on account of the work of the Bush administration which has periodically exhorted us to be very afraid but on account of the pro-torturers like Mr. Bowden whose macho arrogance has served our enemies well while at the same time as he encourages us to emulate them, undermining the very fabric of our decency and democratic ideals, the very reasons for us to be willing to protect our country. Let us remember that the first "terroiristes" were a governing group bent on destroying dissent. These were the French Jacobins who in the name of patriotism during the French Revolution wrote the final chapter to the Rights of Man with erection of the Guillotine! Apologists for torture like Mr. Bowden like to think
they can get away with the following (from his screed): “While the
chance of further murderous attacks is always with us, it is fair to
say few of us feel the same measure of alarm we did then. The
diminishment of this threat is at least in part due to the heroic
efforts of the CIA, the military, and
allies around the world in targeting terrorist cells.”

I may be one of the few(I doubt it’s a few) who feel an even greater measure of concern and fear. Not only do I feel less secure regarding future terrorist attacks because of the plain intentions of people like Zabaydah, nor only on account of the work of the Bush administration which has periodically exhorted us to be very afraid but on account of the pro-torturers like Mr. Bowden whose macho arrogance has served our enemies well while at the same time as he encourages us to emulate them, undermining the very fabric of our decency and democratic ideals, the very reasons for us to be willing to protect our country.

Let us remember that the first “terroiristes” were a governing group bent on destroying dissent. These were the French Jacobins who in the name of patriotism during the French Revolution wrote the final chapter to the Rights of Man with erection of the Guillotine!

]]> By: TheFrog http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/comment-page-1/#comment-47137 TheFrog Tue, 25 Dec 2007 23:13:46 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/#comment-47137 Or so you say. Every piece of evidence you cite is protected and redacted by an administration that has provably lied to us. You want me to believe that because you say so that virtually anyone may be subjected to torture as long as you really, really think it is true. And anyone doubting your account is simply a treasonous moron. Without oversight, you have NO argument whatsoever. You are just one of the many elite imperialist that threaten our culture - the very fear that drove our founding fathers to demand checks and balances in our constitution. So I say to you - Just SHUTUP. You've done enough damage to our freedoms and heritage, you treasonous moron. Or so you say.
Every piece of evidence you cite is protected and redacted by an administration that has provably lied to us. You want me to believe that because you say so that virtually anyone may be subjected to torture as long as you really, really think it is true. And anyone doubting your account is simply a treasonous moron.
Without oversight, you have NO argument whatsoever. You are just one of the many elite imperialist that threaten our culture – the very fear that drove our founding fathers to demand checks and balances in our constitution.
So I say to you – Just SHUTUP. You’ve done enough damage to our freedoms and heritage, you treasonous moron.

]]> By: Purple Avenger http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/comment-page-1/#comment-47126 Purple Avenger Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:48:25 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/#comment-47126 ...or just be honest and admit that its not as bad as portrayed because we do it to our own people all the time in training. …or just be honest and admit that its not as bad as portrayed because we do it to our own people all the time in training.

]]> By: MikeH http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/comment-page-1/#comment-47040 MikeH Tue, 25 Dec 2007 08:30:55 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/#comment-47040 Sure, I'm positive that you'll go to jail in a heartbeat in order to save your fellow man. There are a whole range of things that we can make illegal so people can martyr their freedom in the cause of their fellow man. Then we will feel so good about ourselves by not admitting that we have to use them. You should be jumping at the chance to show your commitment to freedom by accepting a position as an interrogator. Alternatively, why not just make the processes legal and admit that the war that you're in isn't as tidy as you wish it would be. While you're at it you might also admit that the political agenda that argues against the interrogation procedures would allow the wahabbi infection that has been festering for decades and the Shia infection to continue to fester unchecked. It's not as if they were widespread, they're only in Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, The West Bank, Egypt, Algeria, The Philippines, Europe, Canada, Sudan, Somalia, and a couple of other places. That's not a whole lot. You could argue them away by just ignoring them. That's a trick that the media uses effectively. Sure, I’m positive that you’ll go to jail in a heartbeat in order to save your fellow man. There are a whole range of things that we can make illegal so people can martyr their freedom in the cause of their fellow man. Then we will feel so good about ourselves by not admitting that we have to use them. You should be jumping at the chance to show your commitment to freedom by accepting a position as an interrogator.

Alternatively, why not just make the processes legal and admit that the war that you’re in isn’t as tidy as you wish it would be. While you’re at it you might also admit that the political agenda that argues against the interrogation procedures would allow the wahabbi infection that has been festering for decades and the Shia infection to continue to fester unchecked. It’s not as if they were widespread, they’re only in Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, The West Bank, Egypt, Algeria, The Philippines, Europe, Canada, Sudan, Somalia, and a couple of other places. That’s not a whole lot. You could argue them away by just ignoring them. That’s a trick that the media uses effectively.

]]> By: blogagog http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/comment-page-1/#comment-46833 blogagog Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:35:11 +0000 http://www.julescrittenden.com/2007/12/23/in-defense-of-waterboarding/#comment-46833 The correct thing to do is outlaw waterboarding, and then do it anyway if you suspect it might save lives. The correct thing to do is outlaw waterboarding, and then do it anyway if you suspect it might save lives.

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