What's Wrong With America?

Commentary By Ron Beasley

What's Wrong With America?  This!

But now Obama is being lobbied by politicians and voters who want something more -- the humiliation and/or punishment of those responsible for the policies of the past. They are looking for individual scalps -- or, at least, careers and reputations.

Their argument is that without identifying and punishing the perpetrators, there can be no accountability -- and therefore no deterrent lesson for future administrations. It is a plausible-sounding rationale, but it cloaks an unworthy desire for vengeance.

[......]

But having vowed to end the practices, Obama should use all the influence of his office to stop the retroactive search for scapegoats.

This is not another Sept. 11 situation, when nearly 3,000 Americans were killed. We had to investigate the flawed performances and gaps in the system and make the necessary repairs to reduce the chances of a deadly repetition.

The memos on torture represented a deliberate, and internally well-debated, policy decision, made in the proper places -- the White House, the intelligence agencies and the Justice Department -- by the proper officials.

Now if I were to rob a bank and kill or injure someone in the process would it be "vengeance" to expect that I be tried for that offense.  I think Mr Broder and the rest of the citizenry would say no - it's justice.  How is it any different when breaking the law "represented a deliberate, and internally well-debated, policy decision, made in the proper places"?  The answer is that in a nation of laws it should make no difference at all.  We have established here and here that both US and international laws were broken.  For that reason the acts of torture and the decision to torture should be investigated and those who are found to have violated the law should be punished.  This is not one administration or one party against another but one administration against the rule of law.  If the Obama administration refuses to act that will make two administrations.

What's wrong with America?  David Broder and everyone who thinks like him. 

Why does David Broder hate America?

Update:

This from RAM in comments:

A nation of laws does not rely on the good intentions of its leaders to do the right thing; it depends on the law, equally applied to all. Broder and his ilk would approvingly turn the United States into a totalitarian state an inch at a time. And like the frog in the pot of water where the temperature is increased very slowly, the hope would be that we'd never notice. Broder and his villager buddies are all urging us to jump in; the water's fine, they say.

Comments

[RAM]

I wonder if Broder and all the other torture supporters realize that they are advocating making torture official government policy from now on. Because if no one pays a substantial, legal price for having broken international and U.S. laws, those laws are effectively meaningless.

While Barack Obama has pledged not to torture, so did George W. Bush. As soon as another unscrupulous or compliant Bush or Cheney wannabe assumes the office of President he or she will simply undo the supposed Obama torture restrictions. But the next time more than one U.S. citizen, like Jose Padilla, will be the subject of illegal, immoral, and degenerate torture. You can take that one to the bank.

A nation of laws does not rely on the good intentions of its leaders to do the right thing; it depends on the law, equally applied to all. Broder and his ilk would approvingly turn the United States into a totalitarian state an inch at a time. And like the frog in the pot of water where the temperature is increased very slowly, the hope would be that we'd never notice. Broder and his villager buddies are all urging us to jump in; the water's fine, they say.

[Ron Beasley]

Well said RAM - I'm going to move that last pargraph up.