Way to Go With the Hearts and Minds, Guys
It now seems clear that the US has a policy of handing its prisoners over to the care of the very worst that it has, with no regard for either their safety or the Geneva Convention. And they think America's image is being mangled by one Newsweek article?
When asked whether this would incite riots, Bunnypants said, "I don't think a photo inspires murderers....These people are motivated by a vision of the world that is backward and barbaric."
So I guess that lets Newsweek off the hook, huh? Well, no, they're still evil, but it does let Rupert Murdoch off the hook, whose British tabloids the Sun and New York Post are running the photos on their covers. A coincidence that Murdoch also owns the unofficial white house press office, Faux News? I'm guessing not.
What's worse -- Americans seem to think it's okay that Saddam's rights under the Geneva Convention have been violated even as we're holding him for violations of the Geneva Convention, with no sense of culpability or faulty leadership on the part of the people who continually allow this stuff to happen on their march to "spread democracy" around the world. Assmissile was on MSNBC today, pimping his article called "Cry Me a River," in which he dismisses the Geneva Convention and recommends we go back to that eye-for-an-eye thing. There is something frighteningly symbolic about the Ten Commandments trying to sneak its way onto courthouse lawns as the Old Testament threatens to replace the Constitution as the go-to cornerstone of US governance.
Update: Steve Gilliard makes a good point: What Bush doesn't get is this: no matter who the Arab, public humilation is a major social taboo. They kill rape victims for shaming the family. So this society is going to enjoy Saddam shamed in a way no Arab would shame his worst enemy? Are you fucking joking? Calling Arab dogs, exposing Saddam, this is an offense to Arab pride and we need them not to feel disrepected by us.
Update 2: Via Frogsdong we learn that according to the Murdoch-owned tabloid, U.S. "military sources said they handed over the photos in the hope of dealing a body blow to the resistance in Iraq." Dude, even I did not accuse them of that. Guess it's time to adjust my paranoia meter.
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 5/20/2005 12:29:00 PM
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