Saturday, May 16, 2009

This is bunkum.



Since when did the torture story become about whether or not Pelosi knew about it rather than should we prosecute the people who ordered it and carried it out?

I mean, even if she did know about it - and I tend to believe her when she says she was not informed - so what? It was not her policy and she would have been sworn to secrecy about it anyway.

It just seems to me as if the whole American media swing into whatever groove the Republicans set for them.

The Republicans are granted an enormous amount of leeway to steer discussion away from what is important. What matters surely is that the US tortured and that they sometimes did so, not to gain information, but to deliberately gather misinformation to enable an illegal war to be justified.

That's the scandal here. And yet there is all this utter bunkum about what Pelosi knew and when she knew it?

Viewed from the UK, this appears insane. Talk about losing a sense of perspective...

4 comments:

daveawayfromhome said...

I'm not convinced that Pelosi didnt know, though that shouldnt distract from any pursuit of wrongdoing. However, her involvement and knowledge of events may explain why to her impeachment was "off the table". Republicans should be careful, this one may come back to bite them - if Pelosi is culpable, then they are moreso.

Kel said...

Dave,

I have often suspected that there might be a reason why the Dems were so reluctant to impeach. If Pelosi knew I'm sure she would still have been sworn to secrecy, which is why I suppose I believe her now when she says she didn't know.

However, even if she had worked hand in hand with Bush as he poured the water over people's heads as I would simply say prosecute her as well. The Republicans think that the Democrats will back away in case one of their own is implicated. They seem to see this as a partisan issue rather than one where people feel genuine outrage.

nunya said...

Now you understand how embarrasingfrustratinghumiliating and downright exhausting it can be to be an American who wants to dig out the truth over here. Thank God there are many foreign sources available in English.

*sigh*

ps, I don't want to be self-promoter, but I want to know why nobody is looking at the big picture. That's my post today.
Do you agree with me?

Kel said...

Nunya,

I am unsure what to think when it comes to Afghanistan. I don't think that a war there is winnable, and I thought during the election that Obama had to vow to do more there because, while stating that he was going to leave Iraq, he had to be careful not to come across as weak on defence.

But, in terms of the big picture, the British history of conflicts in Afghanistan tells it's own story. That is not a land which is kind to invaders.