Yes, but most of us manage to contain it, or rationalise that a particular aspect of our belief system – political, religious or moral – is wrong, eg Shariah law, honour killings, stoning to death, etc.
Grant, I really could not agree more that all of those are absolutely barbaric and wrong.
No question about that at all.
Human rights are universal, one cannot hide behind customs, traditions or anything else where human rights abuses are concerned.
But that goes for us as well.
Tortue isn't just torture when it's the Soviets, Arabs or other enemy figures of historical flavour of the moment, torture is torture when it's us or, as is happening now, the USA, as well.
Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, CIA extraordinary "renditions" aka kidnappings, the unbelievable fact that the Soviets could be contained and Nazism overcome, but a few homegrown terrorists from third world sand boxes have seen the US totally lose the plot to the extent torture in the USA is now a fully legitimate interrogation instrument, a feat rivalled only by the most barbaric of regimes, is something that is not only ludicrous and obviously a completely counterproductive waste of time, where the tortured will simply tell the torturers whatever they want to hear, and, very evidently,
just as barbaric and wrong as it was in Stalinist Moscow or in whatever other rogues it is or was practised.
"Canada to diplomats: U.S. tortures people
Another reason to move to Canada.
A training document produced by the foreign ministry openly admits the United States is a country where prisoners are at risk of torture. “The manual - part of a training course on torture awareness for diplomats - also includes Israel, China, Iran and Afghanistan on its watch list.”Canada Adds U.S.A. to Torture List | Garling Gauge
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" The Central Intelligence Agency's 'rendition' of suspected terrorists has spiralled 'out of control' according to a former FBI agent, cited in a report which examined how CIA detainees are spirited to states suspected of using torture.
Michael Scheuer a former CIA counterterrorism agent told The New Yorker magazine "all we've done is create a nightmare," with regard to the top secret practice of renditions.
In an article titled 'Outsourcing Torture' due to hit newsstands this week, the magazine claims suspects, sometimes picked up by the CIA, are often flown to Egypt , Morocco, Syria and Jordan , "each of which is known to use torture in interrogations."
By holding detainees without counsel or charges of wrongdoing, the administration of US President George W. Bush "has jeopardized its chances of convicting hundreds of suspected terrorists, or even of using them as witnesses in almost any court in the world," the report said.
The article cited Dan Coleman, an ex Federal Bureau of Investigation counterterrorism expert who retired in July 2003.
Coleman told The New Yorker that torture "has become bureaucratized," by the Bush administration, and that the practice of renditions is "out of control."
Scheuer said there had been a legal process underlying early renditions, but as more suspects were rounded up following the September 11, 2001, attacks, "all we've done is create a nightmare."...
CIA Abductions of Terror Suspects Are 'Out of Control'
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"Bush's lethal legacy: more executions
The US already kills more of its prisoners than almost any other country. Now the White House plans to cut the right of appeal of death row inmates.
With less than 18 months to go to secure a presidential legacy, President Bush has turned to an issue he has specialised in since approving a record number of executions while Governor of Texas..."
Bush's lethal legacy: more executions - Americas, World - Independent.co.uk
The fact that the USA has openly turned into a rogue nation openly exercising the most barbaric of human rights abuses while instigating unwarranted, illegal wars of aggression is why
it is
rightly seen as one of the biggest threats to world peace by most nations.
Doesn't matter if it's Japan:
Japan Today - Poll Of The Week - Who is the biggest threat to world peace?
Or the EU:
...most Europeans believe the United States is a greater menace than Iran or North Korea..."
Well,
of course !
Whoe else after all ?!?
Neither North Korea nor Iran have
slaughtered 1,2 million innocents like Bush has in Iraq over a war based on oil.
Maybe Obama will end this unbelievable nightmare and restore sanity, democracy and decency to the US.
