June 05, 2006

Sullivan: U.S. is a "Rogue Nation"

The United States is on par with Stallinist North Korea and millitant Iran. At least that's what Andrew Sullivan declares (emphasis mine):

The United States is a rogue nation that practices torture and detainee abuse and does not follow the most basic principles of the Geneva Conventions. It is inviolation of human rights agreements and the U.N. Convention against torture. It is legitimizing torture by every disgusting regime on the planet.

If you think making prisoners endure cold, hot, loud music, and the occasional waterboarding is the rebirth of the Inquisition then you're beyond my convincing. Is it U.S. policy to shove bamboo under prisoners' fingernails? Are interrogators systematically breaking bones? Are they, a la Jack Bauer, making prisoners swallow socks only to yank them back up their esophaguses? No, no, and no. Instead, they're making prisoners stand nude before women then having an Israeli flag drapped over them. Is it psychologically demeaning? Sure, but if I were a prisoner I'd gladly accept that "torture."

Look at the picture Sullivan posted.

That prisoner isn't in a comfortable position, but do you see any bruises, any gunshot wounds, any scars, any marks at all?

Crimes have been committed. The case of an Afghani killed from being kneed scores of times is an example. However, Bush critics have set the torture bar so low the real crimes become noise. At Guantanamo the prisoners have been well fed, can practice their religion, and can read Harry Potter. I'd prefer that to the Hanoi Hilton Sen. John McCain had to endure during the Vietnam War.

The U.S. gets attacked on Sep. 11, 2001 then proceeds on a quest to destroy Islamist groups. Afghanistan and Iraq both are liberated. Millions of people have the chance to create a regime of liberty and breathe free. President Bush has set the nation down a path to promote liberty the world over. And the U.S. is a "rogue nation?" We're the bad guys? It will take another terrorist attack on the homeland to shake Sullivan out of his delusions of Chomsky.

"We Torture" [via Michelle Malkin]

UPDATE: James Joyner and Jeff Goldstein both comment.