Torturous diplomacy
by digby
From the sound of it, the administration is getting an earful from foreign leaders about GOP crazy talk:
“I want to remove even a scintilla of doubt or confusion that has been caused by statements that others have made in recent weeks and months,” Kerry told reporters. “The United States is opposed to the use of torture in any form, at any time, by any government or non-state actor.”
Kerry’s comments echo those of CIA Director John Brennan who told NBC News in a recent interview that his agency will not participate in “enhanced interrogation” practices, such as waterboarding— even if a future president gave the order to do so.
“This is a standard that we insist others meet and therefore we must meet this standard ourselves,” he said. “I know personally that the fierce anger that arises in war when fellow countrymen are attacked whether they are soldiers or civilians can sometimes prompt fury, rage, revenge, but there is a sharp dividing line between societies that abandon all standards when times are tough and those that due their absolute best to maintain those standards because ultimately upholding core values is what makes a nation strong.”
Yeah well, I’m going to guess there won’t be as much opposition to torture as he claims if the country is attacked again. And there’s this guy out there getting votes from millions of Americans:
Go to 2:55. Listen closely and you’ll hear the Republican front-runner for he presidency say this:
Stephanopoulos: Do we win by being more like them?
Trump: Yes, I’m sorry you have to do it that way. I’m not sure everyone agrees with me I guess a lot of people don’t. We are living in a time that’s as evil as any time that there has ever been.
You know, when I was a young man I studied medieval times.That’s what they did. They chopped off heads.
Stephanopoulos: So we’re going to chop off heads?
Trump: We’re going to do things beyond waterboarding. Perhaps. If that happens to come.
Maybe that’s all bluster. But that two minutes of hate is one of the most chilling exchanges I’ve ever heard coming from anyone, much less a leading American presidential contender.
He is the candidate of American psychopaths. And apparently we have millions of them.
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