Hearts And Minds Lost?
In regards to our use of torture, shame on us. And I mean US. At least we Americans. Just because images finally come out that cannot be denied doesn't mean that we've seen everything. There have been hints of this kind of thing for months with rumours and strange deaths happening from Guantamano to Afghanistan, as well as just mass imprisonment with little preparation of Iraqis.
I had a haunting and urgent sense before this war started in Iraq that it would bring us great shame. I had hoped that enough of us would spread the word, and gather in the streets, in order to give a reality check to our leaders and representatives before we'd passed the point of no return. To do so, in my mind, would bring "shame to our nation". But I was referring more to our shoddy and horrible case for the war, and the presence of plagiarized, forged, and greatly exaggerated evidence to support it.
Never did I think we would be shamed before the whole world not only for our decadent and self-righteous pretensions but for torture, in who knows how many cases murderously ending in death.
We cannot allow those who have dodged and evaded accountability and responsibility all this time, for the events surrounding this mission in Iraq, when events turn negative, while hoping to bask in the accolades when things seemingly go well, or positive, to pull their latest maneouver and pin this on "6 morons who lost the war".
Though they truly may be described as morons, from the view of the Pentagon, for taking pictures, and somehow letting them be released when they are so incriminating, both to themselves, to the Pentagon, and to us as a nation, we shouldn't lose sight that if they weren't such morons we wouldn't know with certainty and be able to put a stop to institutional torture and murder in our name.
Have we tortured and murdered innocent family men, after having torn them away from their families, these families fearing day and night of the well-being of their loved one? Thank God for these pictures, because this cannot go on in our name, or as a condition of our military endeavors throughout the world. And sooner or later the survivors of these prisons would have been released, and told their stories to their families, friends, and neighbors, where it would spread like wildfire amongst those whom we intend to "win hearts and minds", all the while at home a majority continue to wonder why they resent and hate us.
People at the top need to take ownership. Take responsibility. There better damn well be some resignations among the civilian leadership. President Bush, it's time to break out the big stick. This mission in Iraq has indeed brought "great shame to our nation". Drop the hammer on those responsible, and assure the world we take this to be serious, serious business.
***
Let us also not forget that though a life is priceless, we inevitably will be paying a heavy price to reimburse the victims of torture and murder in Iraq by our hands.
