The detainee/torture bill will set the new international standard

[BattyDem]

If the United States says it's fine to lock people up without charging them, without giving them access to the courts, without allowing them to see the evidence against them and to use "coercive interrogation" techniques, then the rest of the world will do the same.

Our soldiers will be tortured and/or thrown in prison for life. Our citizens could be picked up on the street of a foreign country, tortured, and sent to prison without any way to challenge their detention - because we are telling the world that it's acceptable to do that.

This bill isn't just about our country, it's also about how our citizens will be treated by other countries. We will no longer have the moral high ground; we will no longer have any right to complain about inhuman conditions of detention around the world.

This bill will DEFINE us as a nation. It makes us no better than than every other brutal regime in history. Anyone who doesn't stand up and FIGHT against this is a traitor to our country! There is no compromise. There is no debate. We condemn Communism and Fascism for many reasons, especially the way human beings are treated under those governments. Yet now we are embracing their "standards" of law.

There is only a question: do we fight the enemy or do we become them? At this point, we are well on our way to becoming them. I can't believe I'm witnessing such a dark moment in our history.

Goodbye America. It was nice while it lasted. :-(

[OneBlueSky]

1. BushCo America = the new Nazi Germany . . .

and that is NOT overstating the situation one little bit . . . they just haven't finished the job yet . . .

but the camps are waiting . . .

[Eric J in MN]

2. The CIA grabbed a man of the streets of Italy...

..without informing the Italian government.

If other countries follow the rules of the US, their intelligence services will snatch Americans off US streets without even informing our government.

[BattyDem]

7. I forgot about that

The RWers believe they're safe because this bill will only be used against their "enemies" - but if other countries adopt the same policies, no American is safe. :-(

[bdamomma]

3. one question, are we going to let them do this without a challenge

and just say it was nice while it lasted, this is Our Country, what we are going to let them continue doing what they are doing without saying or doing anything. just my rant.

[BattyDem]

4. We, the people, are challenging! But the Dems who represent us ...

are not. They're putting on a great show on CSPAN and I'm grateful for that ... but they're not stopping it. They simply offer amendments to this travesty or try to reach some sort of ridiculous compromise about the "limits" of the torture and the type of secret evidence that can be used! :grr:

It's all very frustrating ... and frightening. :scared:

[bdamomma]

6. so if the Dems are rNOT representing us we have to represent

ourselves, this is so sick that this ignorance is continuing, we can see what is going on, how much more shit has to happen. now does this torture thing immune bush from war crimes, like he is off the hook, sickening absolutely sickening.

[grizmaster]

5. My Senators are going to be recieving multiple calls from me (again)

and if they aren't responsive I'm visiting their offices till I get a response that is satisfactory.

[kineneb]

8. blowback

If...the US government tortures citizens of other countries,
Then...those countries have every right to use the same methods on our citizens.

Karma sucks, Dicky Boy. Hope you were not planning on a foreign holiday any time soon.

I would love to find out what Chalmers Johnson thinks of this development.

[Individualist]

9. This nation's descent into hell accelerated today