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Overcoming distractions

September 22, 2006

Buried on Page A8 of this morning’s Boston Globe, we find:

In addition, Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican and the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, has joined a range of Democrats in insisting that all terror suspects have a right to challenge their detention in federal court. The agreement reached yesterday strips defendants at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility of those “habeas corpus” rights.

This comes toward the end of a story on the agreement reached between the White House and Congress on how, exactly, to torture human beings, a story which the Globe warmly narrates as the resolution of a “squabble” between Republicans, a struggle over definitions of torture that had become a “distraction for the GOP.” So, two points this morning: (1) It should not be forgotten that this rewriting of the War Crimes Act strips detainees of their right to challenge their detention in federal court; (2) The issue of torture is being domesticated by the U.S. media, a political problem to be overcome in order for Republicans to present a “united front” rather than an incredible, insane discussion of how to best violate another human’s mind and body.

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3 Comments
  1. Montag permalink
    September 22, 2006 3:46 PM

    I think I’ve expressed my views on the false choice we’ve been “debating” on the tribunals and detainee treatment. Suffice it to say that they weren’t represented at all. Who loses the debate when Republicans present a “united front” to overcome this political problem by jamming the legislation through before the election?

    [Emphasis mine.] Probable losers: Civil libertarians who may still object to the tribunals and Democrats who have been laying low on the issue, apparently assuming that McCain-Bush impasse would prevent any deal. “They painted themselves into a corner,” said GOP Senate aide Don Stewart. “They said, ‘I’m with McCain,’ and now McCain has reached an agreement.” [MSNBC: Detainee deal sets stage for Nov. 7]

    And— if we have an ounce of humanity left at all —we might add people who morally object to the use of torture.

    Via: Hullabaloo

  2. The TechnoBabe permalink
    September 23, 2006 12:09 AM

    We the people who do morally object to the use of torture are being outvoted, overlooked, and left on the sidelines to watch the rewriting to allow the cruel and inhumane treatment of human beings. How much lower are we going to have to go before citizens will have a say again and we can stop the torture and lies.

  3. The TechnoBabe permalink
    September 23, 2006 1:17 AM

    Did you already see this:
    http://www.wren-o-blue.blogspot.com/

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