The old America that has practically become extinct was anti-torture.
As a matter of fact, President Ronald Reagan would have put Dick Cheney in prison for his torture programs and his advocacy of torture:
Ronald Reagan was in office as U.S. President from 1981 - 1989.(Pres. Reagan Puts Cheney In Jail). Too many Americans, including President Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder, are afraid to be Americans when it comes to prosecuting torture mongers in high places.
In 1983 his DOJ prosecuted a republican Texas Sheriff for the crime of waterboarding: In 1983, Texas Sheriff James Parker was charged, along with three of his deputies, for handcuffing prisoners to chairs, placing towels over their faces, and pouring water on the cloth until they gave what the officers considered to be confessions. The sheriff and his deputies were all convicted and sentenced to four years in prison. [NPR Link]
A relative handful of a hundred or so have not been afraid to be Americans, and have explained that to the United Nations:
Since the United States last reported to the Committee Against Torture in 2006, even more evidence has emerged confirming that civilian and military officials at the highest level created, designed, authorized, and implemented a sophisticated, international criminal program of torture.(Torture by U.S. reviewed by UN, PDF). The new mantra, one rejected at the Nuremberg Trials, "I was following orders" is now asserted by those who are afraid to be Americans (ibid, cf. I Was Following Orders).
In August 2014, President Barack Obama conceded that the United States tortured people as part of its so-called “War on Terror,” yet the United States continues to shield senior officials from liability for these crimes, in violation of its obligations under the Convention Against Torture.
This neoCon America is not favored worldwide so the good reputation that the true America had is now gone (Neocons Poll Downward Worldwide).
Fear is the primary emotional construct of neoCon America, witnessed by the recent "Obola" scare (Obola: Art Thou Dying Properly?).
It is as if some neoCon government officials, drunk on political toxins, formed a paranoia-crazed mob (via the MSM) to take the civil rights away from a brave American (one not afraid to be an American) who went to fight a real danger at its source (Judge in Maine Eases Restrictions on Nurse).
Thus, the neoCon America founded on paranoia is a danger to all life forms, so stand up for the America which used to be good for the world (The Real Dangers With Microbes & Viruses).
In conclusion, the nation is evolving from "a kinder gentler nation" into a worldwide, nation-murdering military driven bully (American Feudalism - 6).
Resist the neoCons by not being afraid to be an American.
Thank you for this.
ReplyDelete~Paulette
i'm more ashamed than afraid. Ever since Reagan I've been embarrassed of my fellow 'murikkkan's stance, ideology and world-view and once Bush II came along it was all over for the country I grew up in. When I was in middle school and JFK was assassinated, my world-view changed dramatically and has never recovered. Oh, I grew up and learned from Howard Zinn and others, but the underlying message was one of 'you can't mess with unbridled power tripping psychopaths' through elections.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, elect who you want - they all work for the same dysfunctional system.
Tom
"The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals just ruled that anyone who's been in Sierra Leone, Liberia or Guinea in the past three weeks "should NOT travel to New Orleans to attend the conference." (That big "NOT" is in the original letter.)" - LINK
ReplyDeleteJindal is afraid to be an Anerican.