Why we're not done with the torture issue just yet (Sarasohn / The Oregonian)

[struggle4progress]

y David Sarasohn, The Oregonian
Friday April 24, 2009, 11:39 AM

... After years when we were told solemnly that Americans didn't torture, the argument is now that torture works, and if we just released enough documents, we'd know it was a fine idea ...

Former Vice President Cheney now insists that if everything were revealed -- not exactly his policy in office -- we'd know it helped a lot ...

... the reason that pointless investigations are called witch hunts is that there are no such things as witches. But since 9/11, there has been such a thing as torture, and we need to know more about it, to understand what happened, and whether we want it to happen again ...

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/david_sarasohn/index.ssf/2009/04/why_were_not_done_with_the_tor.html

Overall, an undistinguished argument against prosecution -- but the snippets above are nice

[angstlessk]

1. ah, yes..the old cannard...we must find out how it happened in order to not let it happen again

that premise is false on its face...we know why people rob banks..and if we would only provide people with enough cash they would never rob a bank again...NO..IT IS PROSECUTION THAT DETERS BANK ROBBERS...though cash would be nice!

[struggle4progress]

4. Unless the public understands enough of what occurred, there is no chance of prosecution.

Opponents of prosecution will, of course, always portray prosecution as mere political vendetta, but their success in that effort will depend on a larger political context. The argument, that legislation reducing the possibility of recurrence is unlikely until the public and Congress understand the history well enough, seems legitimate to me: without such understanding, there is inadequate motive for reform. General fairness principles, moreover, require that the government not undertake investigations simply to fish for prosecution evidence. Thus, although I myself feel sure that major and prosecutable crimes have occurred, the first proper course of action may be some Congressional investigation and public demand for disclosure, not only for legislative reasons but also as a strategy for unmasking the brutality and dishonesty of the pro-torture crowd. If such an unmasking does not produce domestic prosecution, it may well produce an international climate demanding international prosecution

[DCKit]

2. I suppose they would be OK with excusing, expunging and releasing all the people...

who committed any crime between 9/11 and January 21st, 2009.

It only seems fair.

[BR_Parkway]

3. hmm, $4 gal gasoline - would he like to releaase the papers on Energy

taskforce he fought in court to keep us from seeing? Surely, if that policy worked, he should be willing to prove it (but it'll be pretty hard to justify that it worked for more than a handful of energy companies)

Just saying - I like the new open and transparent Dick much better - release everything!