Obama's Search For A Moral Compass by Melvin A. Goodman

[L. Coyote]

Obama's Search For A Moral Compass
Written by Melvin A. Goodman
Monday, 13 April 2009 - http://pubrecord.org/commentary/830-obamas-search-for-a-moral-compass.html


Some countries never acknowledge their crimes. It has been 95 years since the Turkish genocide against its Armenian population, but the Turkish government will not confess to any role in crimes that were committed. The Japanese have never admitted the terrible crimes committed throughout Northeast and Southeast Asia during World War II. And Israel has refused to acknowledge its numerous crimes against the Palestinians, most recently in Gaza, where Israeli soldiers committed grave violations of international law by deliberately attacking civilian targets and failing to protect the civilian population.

We know that the United States has committed crimes that violated the 8th Amendment of the Constitution against “cruel and unusual punishments;” the War Crimes Act of 1996; the Convention Against Torture of 1984 (the United States is a signatory); and of course Common Article Three of the Geneva Conventions. President Obama’s handling of the war crimes of the United States in facilities in Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Iraq, and Afghanistan is particularly troubling because his administration has admitted that crimes were committed. He has condemned torture and abuse, closed CIA secret prisons, and ordered the closing of Guantanamo within the year.

Attorney General Eric Holder stated bluntly in his confirmation hearings that “waterboarding is torture.” CIA director Leon Panetta has done the same, and the CIA has conducted no extraordinary renditions since Panetta replaced General Michael Hayden as CIA director. Extraordinary renditions amount to enforced disappearance, which is also a violation of international law. Panetta also has announced that the CIA will no longer use contractors to conduct interrogations and has proposed a plan to decommission the remaining black sites.

We have paid a terrible price for these crimes .........

[pat_k]

1. "only President Obama can restore our moral compass. . .

. . .only President Obama can restore our moral compass on the crimes of the post-9/11 era. The judgment of history will be harsh if he chooses not to do so.

[Demeter]

2. Bullshit! CONGRESS Had 8 YEARS to Right the Wrongs via Impeachment

but it was never on their table.

[pat_k]

3. The group think that drove their Impeachophobia is a powerful force.

The stain of our collective failure to impeach can never been erased. But now it is up to Obama to act -- to prosecute; to admit and do what he must to make amends for the egregious dereliction.

Even though we weren't able to "cure" enough impeachophobes to make impeachment a reality, there have been victories along the way. (Don't forget, it was not all that long ago that DC denizens refused to even utter the word "torture.")

As would have been the case if they had taken up the fight to impeach, there are always benefits to fighting when principle demands it, regardless of outcome. We can take heart that our efforts engaged others in the fight, chipped away at DC denial, and increased the likelihood of making prosecution a reality.

The problem with http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5447507&mesg_id=5448828">group think is that it is NOT "thought" at all. It is a powerful force, but it is NOT insurmountable. We do what we can -- and must, if only for our own self-esteem as Americans.

However "they" fail or anger us, we can't let it just be about "them." Ultimately, it is about figuring out how to use our power to see that our will is done. We can challenge those among us who parrot the rationalizations and excuses to Stop it, and start demanding immediate prosecution; challenge media insiders to confront the hypocrisy of claiming to "uphold the Constitution" while harboring torturers; challenge Members of Congress to stop farting around "investigating" and demand Immediate Prosecution for what WE ALL KNOW. We can be on the look out for opportunities to confront them face-to-face at public appearances or in town hall meetings. We can recruit primary challengers who know the meaning of an oath. Do any ONE of these things (and I know you do more than that) and you increase the probably that we will see Bush and Cheney in the dock.

[katty]

4. Obama has the power to act-but it's let's just move on, we

need the person who HAS THE POWER-now and WHO KNOWS this is WRONG to ACT.