Attention ALL Liberals
by Bill Simon
Picture this situation: The person you love most in your life (spouse, significant other, child, etc.) is a target of some violence-oriented group of individuals who intend to murder your loved one. It doesn’t matter why your loved one is targeted for extinction, they just are.
The police have arrested one of the members of the gang. The member knows a lot about the plot to kill your loved one. They know time, place, method.
You can ask them nicely if they will tell you what the plan is. If they tell you, great. You can go save your loved one.
If they refuse to tell you/the authoriities anything, what are you prepared to allow to happen to that gang member in order to extract the truth about how they intend to murder your loved one?
Oh wait…you don’t want any “harm” to come to anyone who threatens anyone else. Guess you’ll let your loved one die so that no “torture” is inflicted (psychological or otherwise) on the ONE guy who can help prevent your loved one from being murdered.
May 2nd, 2009 at 7:25 am
Naturally, in this scenario, no one would agree to a plea deal or other negotiation. We know this because on “24”, the bad guys never agree peacefully, so Jack Bauer (or someone else) simply MUST torture them to save the day. Further, since “24” is on Fox, we know that the show, like “Cops” and “American Idol”, is completely free of fiction or fancy. It’s all true!
Seriously, the choice you offer is phony. Show me a terrorist, and I’ll show you a bully. Show me a bully, and I’ll show you a coward. Cowards are easy to manipulate without violating international treaties against torture.
Besides, if Abu Zubaida “broke” after 30-35 seconds of waterboarding, why was it done 83 times?
May 3rd, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Ah, yes, another variation on the “ticking time bomb” scenario as popularized by Fox’s show “24”. I watch it regularly myself, and I’ve learned one very important thing.
It is fiction. Nothing more or less. This desire to turn the exploits of Jack Bauer into serious policy positions is just one of the many ways the conservative movement has become a joke.
Here’s a dose of reality. Show me a terrorist and I’ll show you a bully. Show me a bully and I’ll show you a coward. Cowards are easy to manipulate without violating international treaties or constitutional precepts. The key is to break down the fears and hates that drive people to violence, whether its al-Qaida or a street gang.
Besides, if waterboarding worked, if Abu Zubaida was “broken” after 30-35 seconds, why was it done 83 times?
A liberal’s answer, if anyone’s interested.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Right, Charley. We’ll let you reason with the guys who chop-off people’s heads. I’m sure those folks just need a warm cup of tea and a liberal hug.
May 4th, 2009 at 5:04 am
I didn’t say reason, and I didn’t say hug them, liberally or otherwise. I said manipulate them into giving up information. It requires a three-dimensional pattern of thinking that seems far beyond the capabilities of today’s conservatives.
Guys who chop off people’s heads? I had no idea this was really a stealth attack on the Saudi government, which conducts public beheadings for criminals. Mind you, this is the same culture that legalizes pedophelia by telling 8-year-old girls they have to get married.
May 10th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Charley,
I guess the United States is no different than them since Congress wants to protect pedophilia as a protected class of citizens.
Now, when they rape an 8-year old girl, it will be a Federal crime for the 8-year old’s mother to smack the crap out of him.
I wonder if they would even be arrested once the hate crime bill is passed?
The United States is no better off than the rest of the world. We have legal genocide (abortion) yet go to the aid of other nations when they cry for help because of ethnic cleansing problems.
The United States is just as dirty as other nations. No, I take that back. We are worse than other nations. After all, our leaders claim to be Christians.
I spit in the faces of our leaders who call themselves Christians, yet pass laws that are against God’s ways.
As for Bill Simon’s “plot”….ever heard of prayer? The Bible says those who set a trap for others will themselves fall into it. How many times did David have death threats against him? Yet, God protected him. And Daniel?
May 13th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Charley,
Perhaps you were not aware of the cases of Al Quaida operatives actually cutting off the heads of American soldiers:
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/beheading_desecration_video_of_dead_us_soldiers_released_on_internet_by_al_qaeda_videoimages/
Get educated, Charley, on some other news than the CNN network.
May 13th, 2009 at 4:54 am
I was well aware of this case too, as well as the beheading of Daniel Pearl and other American civilians at the hands of those al-Qaeda barbarians. Bringing them up, though, does not invalidate my point about the Saudi government’s policy of public beheadings.
Neither case justifies Americans torturing terror suspects. It does not produce results, unless you consider feeding the enemy propoganda machine “results”. It is not unpatriotic or weak to support a foreign or military policy that features some motivation other than blind revenge. Hell, even the BUSH administration had some understanding of that, hence their decision to welcome Sunni factions in Iraq back into the “fold” after they had been supporting al-Qaeda. Do you think there still would a Sunni Awakening if the barbarity of Abu Ghraib had gone on into 2006? Get educated, Bill, on some other news than the Fox News network.
Speaking of news networks, I watch MSNBC for cable news, not CNN. The only exception is in the morning, because I don’t like Joe Scarborough. Robin Meade is nicer to look at, and she actually allows other people the privelege of talking.
June 7th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Shark Girl,
Do you have a link to the specific legislation you mentioned? Who specifically is sponsoring the bill legalizing pedophelia? Why no word or protest of same by anyone but you? I could go further, but will resist temptation – this time.