McCain: Japanese Hanged For Waterboarding

[Xipe Totec]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 29, 2007

Republican presidential candidate John McCain reminded people Thursday that some Japanese were tried and hanged for torturing American prisoners during World War II with techniques that included waterboarding.

"There should be little doubt from American history that we consider that as torture otherwise we wouldn't have tried and convicted Japanese for doing that same thing to Americans," McCain said during a news conference.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/29/politics/main3554687.shtml

Just so we're clear.

[Clio the Leo]

1. And if your average progressive supported the death penalty, this would come in handy. NT

[Sequoia]

2. Time to drag Cheney out of his cave.

"It's a no-brainer"

[ecstatic]

3. hehe... Hang them all! Even the ones who

were told it was legal! Series!!11 Boy, we really messed up by not choosing McCain for prez :(









:sarcasm:

[Xipe Totec]

8. Bite your tongue!

:P

[BadgerKid]

4. Ooh! Quick, look over there! n/t

[Bluerthanblue]

5. So where's McCain's call to his fellow repubs for prosecution? How

about the crusty war hero himself take up the mantel????

He's one of the few who can speak and proceed from a position of experience- Why don't we ask the republicans why they aren't asking McCain to push for prosecution since the memo's detailing the use of waterboarding have been made public thanks to Pres. Obama??????

[Supersedeas]

11. that was before he drank the Bush flavored Koolaid

[progressoid]

6. That was alternate universe McCain

[Xipe Totec]

7. But it was not alternate universe America that hung those soldiers

Let's be clear, this is not about McCain versus Obama.

This is about torture, and the precedent that the United States established when it tried, convicted, and executed Japanese soldiers for doing what our CIA operatives just did.

[Supersedeas]

15. are American values relative to the political circumstances? Apparently, for McCain, morality is

relative

[Raine]

9. I wish some of our talking heads

would mention this.

[Supersedeas]

14. not a chance that someone will call out McCrusty (well maybe KO or RM)

[Kaleva]

10. Emperor Hirohito & members of his family were not charged

for any war crimes. This was a decision made be Gen. MacArthur for political reasons.

[Solon]

12. From what I remember in history class, since the late 19th century, the Emperor was a figurehead...

with no power, especially when the Military Government took over. Far different from the Bush Administration's culpability.

[Kaleva]

13. He had considerable power.

Hence MacArthur's decision not to have him or other members of the Imperial family involved in the war crimes trials. A docile Emperor, even if he was just a figure head and no longer a living god in post WWII Japan, made it far more likely that the Japanese public would accept the Occupation.

There is strong evidence that the prosecutors in the Japanese war crimes trials prevented any evidence of criminal acts made by the Emperor or of his family from being presented in court.

[LostinVA]

19. That was the excuse the US Gov't used -- Hirohito and relatives were in it thick

His cousin was the one who ordered the Rape of Nanking. The US Gov't hanged Tojo and let the Emperor live to facilitate teh Occupation.

[Xipe Totec]

16. Apt comparison to the Chimperor n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. So if McCain says he doesn't want Americans to be hanged...

doesn't that just reaffirm his racism?

[Soylent Brice]

18. duh, asshole. try explaining this to your repug teabagging delusional fuckwad constituents.