In the name of all that is JUST in this world ... John Stewart is my hero.
Listen Carefully! John Yoo admits that he was a stooge for the Bush Administration.
Listen Carefully! John Yoo compares Bush to Nixon, and contrast both with F.D.R. and Lincoln.
Listen Carefully! John Yoo explains why we have a U.S. President.
How can we claim that we are truly different than the terrorists if we use terror on them?
I learned something, or at least was reminded, that this country has a President for a reason.
ReplyDeleteYoo argues that the framers decided to create the executive branch so that our government could quickly adapt to crisis. His theory seems to be that DURING WAR, the President has unlimited power, and it is good for us to have a president with unlimited power, so that we can have the ability to "respond quickly to terrible challenges to the country". Even if sometimes the people we elect make bad choices.
I see others here commenting upon the fact that the basic underling question is never addressed. Is torture wrong?
The answer is simple. Yes, it is wrong to torture. It is always wrong to torture, it is never OK. One can commit such crimes, but must pay the price, and give up all claim to moral superiority.
The question posed to Yoo was "Does the President of the U.S. have the right to order torture (i.e. extraordinary measures, like water-boarding)." His answer is yes, and he is correct, I think, under the law.
The problem is not that the President has unlimited power during war, he could blow us all to hell, and it is not a question of whether or not torture is wrong, it is. The real underlying problem here is that THIS PRESIDENT BUSH wants to have UNLIMITED POWER WITH LIMITED ACCOUNTABILITY.
Those INDIVIDUALS responsible for these war crimes (and all commanders - in chief) need to be held accountable.
If someone had my daughter, and was going to kill her, I would torture them to death to try and save her. But once I had saved her, I would turn myself over to the police for my crimes, and stand to account. To do less would be an act of cowardice.
PRESIDENT BUSH and his minions are WAR CRIMINALS. They all need to be held accountable.
I also learned that John Yoo is not just a ambitious sociopath opportunist, he is also a thinking conservative with a since of humor, and probably has the ability to learn from his mistakes, but only when held to account.
"Yoo are the most charming torture author I have ever met." - John Stewart