Posts tagged wikileaks

Thanks Salon.com

While I agree that Bradley Manning’s actions have cast a bad light on much of American politics, added chaos to our diplomacy abroad (although sometimes “American diplomacy” can be used as an oxymoron) and potentially put many lives at risk; his treatment, torture and abuse at American hands is absurd and does little more than satisfy the sadistic tendencies of the individuals inflicting the damage on him.

Last Friday, P.J. Crowley condemned our “enhanced interrogation techniques” and said that the conditions of Pvt. Manning are “ridiculous, counterproductive and stupid.”

CNN reported that he had “abruptly resigned” under “pressure from White House officials because of controversial comments he made last week about the Bradley Manning case.”

Again, Obama’s big shiny smile, smooth dancing and Shakespearean teleprompter skills rest above a cold, forceful and authoritarian outlook on the role of government, the rule of law and the belief in force and power.

Salon’s report continues with the details of Pvt. Manning’s detention: “23-hour-a-day solitary confinement, barring him from exercising in his cell, punitively imposing “suicide watch” restrictions on him against the recommendations of brig psychiatrists, and subjecting him to prolonged, forced nudity designed to humiliate and degrade.”

The kickers:

1) Democrats railed against President Bush after punishing Gen. Eric Shinseki for his critique of Rumsfeld.

2) The same vacuums of introspection went after Bush again when he fired Lawrence Lindsey, one of his economic advisors after his Iraq War cost estimate totaled $100B–much higher than the advertised $50-60B–and still drastically less than $2.4 trillion that Iraq and Afghanistan have combined to cost.

The beacon of honesty, integrity and consistency President Obama himself uttered the immortal words: “I don’t want to have people who just agree with me. I want people who are continually pushing me out of my comfort zone.”

We know Mr. President, we know…