Sanity Restored

It was Valentines Day an hour ago but since I didn't have any wonderful sexual experiences other than having a wonderful steak at Botak Jones's for dinner, I've decided not to write about ST Val's and the yearly enrichment excrercise for floorist, chocolate and card makers.

Instead, I'd rather focus on the happy news that the US Senate has passed a bill to make the CIA subject to the same rules as the military when it comes to intorogations. Finally, the US Congress is doing the job it was elected to do - keeping a check on an executive branch that has spent billions, if not trillions and lives of millions in an effort to keep its cronies wealthy.

One of the most revolting experiences of the past eight years has been to listen to American politicians lecture the world on things like human rights, due process of the law and fair trade. These same politicians are the same people who see no problem with committing torture and ignoring due process as well as spending other people's money on shit.

Perhaps I'm being in unfair to American politicians as a whole. After all lots of regimes around the world torture people quite happily. American politicians are not the only people who have problems solving money. However, while American politicians may not be the only people doing awful things, their actions matter because they actually affect the rest of the world. America has rightfuly claimed the moral authority to lead in so many fields and so, because the USA has set itself as the world's moral leader, it needs to live up to the high standards that it has set. Seriously, in terms of geopolitics, who cares if Loation politcians act like shits, it does not affect the rest of us outside Loas. However, whenever American politcians act like shits, it does hurt the rest of us in some way or another.

The WORST legacy of the Bush Administration will be without a shadow of doubt, the flushing of America's global credibility down the toilet, bringing the World's Greatest Nation to being on par with the very terrorist that it claims to be fighting against. The rest of us may have had our disagreements with the USA but in the end we always respected the nation for its moral supperiority. America was the place where everyone was equal under the eyes of the law. This was supposed to be the ONE country where anyone with a dream and a talent could succeed. America was the one place where men in uniform didn't have the right to beat the shit out of you whenever they were bored.

Apparently, September 11 has changed that. The Bush Administration believes and has sold this idea to Hollywood that it's ok to throw away your principles because this "New Enemy" does not play by the same rules. I remember writing a letter into the Straits Times arguing against torture and then finding that some twat had written a response on the internet about how misguided I was - Why.....the terrorist did not respect things like due process.

Well, true, due process of the law and not using torture does tie the hands of the "Good Guys" behind their backs. But as Chris Paten, former EU Commissioner, Hong Kong Governor and Conservative Politician points out - this is THE ONLY WAY to fight the terrorist. The reason is simple - fighting terrorist is as much a moral battle as it is a military one. Terrorist, whether it's Irish Catholics and Protestants or Jews and Muslims in Palestine, depend on their "Cause" - they get their support because somebody out there thinks they are fighting for something worthwhile. So, the only way to beat terrorist is to show the people that they claim to be fighting for that you are morally supperior. This means doing things like following due process of the law and not torturing people for the sake of it.

Bush and Gang, none of whom actually fought any war at a combat level don't see things that way. They argue that its necessary to torture people to save....AMERICAN lives and they point to the fact that since September 11, 2001 there have not been any terrorist attacks on American soil. What they fail to see is the fact that the terrorist don't need to strike the US of A. They have more fun shooting American soldiers in Iraq, Afgahnistan and other parts of the world. In the mean time, Bush and Gang are playing into the hands of the terrorist, proving to people like Palestinians, Arabs and other Muslims that the US of A is really against them. Osama and his Gang announce to the world that the USA hates Arabs and supports Israel's occupation and destruction of Arab lands.

So, guess what? Bush proceeds to give us, Abu Gharib and the enclosure of Gazza. Just when you thought they couldn't get any stupider and prove in the eyes of every Abdul, Khalid and Mahmoud in Arabia that Osama has a valid point, Bush proceeds to rush cluster bombs to Israel as they're busy "Turning the Clock Back" on Lebanon. But so what? All these actions are necessary to destroy the "terrorist infrastructure." What the Cheerleader didn't seem to realise is the fact that he's been the best thing to Al Qaeda's recruitment.

For eight years, the Bush Administration seemed bent on being the poster boys for Al Qaeda's recruitment and nobody seemed to have the will or the capacity to stop them. Which is not true because, well the US Congress is designed to check the executive. When Congress was in the hands of the Republicans, they gave their boy a blank cheque to get American troops killed. Then in 06, the Democrats came in and until today, didn't really do a better job.

So now, the CIA has to play by some rules, which is a step in the right direction for the Americans. The Cheerleader has said he'll veto but at least the Senate is regaining some sanity.

It also seems like the Republicans are doing something somewhat sane too. While lots of fuss is being poured on Hillary and Barak, McCain has somehow emerged as the obvious choice for the Republicans. I don't agree with everything McCain says or does. He's become a bit of an arsehole since the Cheerleader beat him for the nomination. However, there is one area which Old John has got right - Torture under any name is inexcusable and does not work. Old John should know - he actually fought in a war and he actually was captured and tortured. At the very least, Old John will restore the idea in what is fundimentally a good country and culture that the idea of torture is unacceptable.