Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Waterboarding Bad, Drone Strikes Good

I happened to listen in today as White House Spokesman Jay Carney attempted to answer reporter's questions about the Administration's targeted assassinations of suspected terrorists by drone strikes, to include the assassinations of American citizens who had not been charged with any crime.

I need to have a good hard think about this one, and how deep my support goes for the Administration's policy.  I'm conflicted, as I would hope you are too. 

That said, when I heard Jay Carney say the following words, I found myself with a the sneaky suspicion that I heard his words before--except then they were uttered by George W. Bush Administration figures in support of enhanced interrogation techniques--which President Obama has outlawed as "torture".  Here's what Carney said:  "We conduct those strikes because they are necessary to mitigate ongoing actual threats, to stop plots, to prevent future attacks and to save American lives."

So--if I get this straight--it is OK to KILL American citizens without a shred of due process, but roughing up the masterminds of 9-11 somehow violates our sense of propriety?

Hmmm....

3 comments:

  1. You have a good concern that all of us, left or right ought to fear. I believe it is the same fear whether the left is viewing the Bush "enhanced interrogations" or the right is viewing the Obama drone strikes (at least the interrogations didn't kill anyone and it wasn't, to my knowledge, used on any American citizens). Nevertheless, when it's used to kill the scum of the earth that it's been used to kill thus far, I have to admit that it does take some of the edge off of my Constitutional outrage. I suspect it is even moreso the case for others who give little credence to the document.
    Still, the ends doesn't justify the means, especially when it comes to the Constitution and especially when it comes to the Constitution in the hands of those who would use it to wipe their hindparts if the parchment were softened.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Or the ends don't justify the means.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Obama: Waterboarding is like surfboarding upside down, and getting water up your nose is pure torture. It's better to blow him up with his family while having dinner. They say the family that explodes together, stays together. Kind of.

    ReplyDelete