Obama: 'We Tortured Some Folks'

[NobleSavage]

This is no big surprise, but nonetheless:

Even before I came into office, I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values. I understand why it happened. I think it's important when we look back to recall how afraid people were after the twin towers fell and the Pentagon had been hit and the plane in Pennsylvania had fallen and people did not know whether more attacks were imminent and there was enormous pressure on our law enforcement and our national security teams to try to deal with this. And, you know, it's important for us not to feel too sanctimonious in retrospect about the tough job that those folks had. A lot of those folks were working hard under enormous pressure and are real patriots, but having said all that, we did some things that were wrong. And that's what that report reflects.

I'm not sure that "We did a whole lot of things that were right..."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-we-tortured-some-folks

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Well, if you feel threatened by someone in America, you're allowed to preemptively shoot them in self-defence, so I guess it makes sense that it's OK to go ahead and torture people if you're afraid and under pressure.

 

[arkirk]

This is no big surprise, but nonetheless:

Even before I came into office, I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values. I understand why it happened. I think it's important when we look back to recall how afraid people were after the twin towers fell and the Pentagon had been hit and the plane in Pennsylvania had fallen and people did not know whether more attacks were imminent and there was enormous pressure on our law enforcement and our national security teams to try to deal with this. And, you know, it's important for us not to feel too sanctimonious in retrospect about the tough job that those folks had. A lot of those folks were working hard under enormous pressure and are real patriots, but having said all that, we did some things that were wrong. And that's what that report reflects.

I'm not sure that "We did a whole lot of things that were right..."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obama-we-tortured-some-folks

I'm with you on this one. Obama just tries over and over, using Dubbiya like language to cover up the mountains of injustice our policies have created in the middle east. Every problem Obama has in the middle east seems always to be fixed by sending more weapons into the area...only to be made worse. Obama in my estimation is as bad as any of the last flock of American leaders. He disregards and treats lightly the killing of people who happen to be muslim. Why cannot we see that killing muslims or any other kind of people does not erase them from the earth and their relatives and friends will just become radicalized militants. The very people needed for peacemaking, we allow to be bombed and forgotten. They are never considered in any of Obama's speeches as human beings...just oops! Sorry about that...you know, collateral damage...we couldn't help it. Dammit! Start treating these people like human beings.

 

[fromderinside]

Its a relief to know that our president is wise enough to understand nationhood doesn't come with certification we only do good.

As for protecting personal self interests we are currently having that debate and it seems property is enough justification for killing to our detriment.

 

[dismal]

So why now?

Could it be the CIA just got caught spying on US senators?

 

[Lumpenproletariat]

But why do people make such a fuss over torture, which was the right thing to do if it helped to catch the 9-11 attackers? In fact, maybe it's the one thing the U.S. did that was right, in response to 9-11.

What a paradox! The most rational action done is the one that is the most universally condemned and preached against.

 

[tupac chopra]

But why do people make such a fuss over torture, which was the right thing to do if it helped to catch the 9-11 attackers?

Because we don't know if any "911 attackers" were ever caught. They were never allowed to give their side of the story. That is how we decide. But that didn't happen in this case. No evidence was ever presented and no one was allowed to defend themselves in a fair and open court.

 

[NobleSavage]

But why do people make such a fuss over torture, which was the right thing to do if it helped to catch the 9-11 attackers? In fact, maybe it's the one thing the U.S. did that was right, in response to 9-11.

What a paradox! The most rational action done is the one that is the most universally condemned and preached against.

Torture produces shit intelligence and we knew that before we started this more current round.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

What I find equally disturbing about this is that he used the word "folks".

 

[rousseau]

But why do people make such a fuss over torture, which was the right thing to do if it helped to catch the 9-11 attackers? In fact, maybe it's the one thing the U.S. did that was right, in response to 9-11.

What a paradox! The most rational action done is the one that is the most universally condemned and preached against.

I'm not saying it isn't the most rational action, but if the most rational action is torturing people so we can hit before someone hits us, the world, and our future, is fucked without a reliable source of global renewable energy. The ironic thing is, if some nation took a passive resistant stance to aggression to set an example they'd probably get invaded (not literally, but I'm making a point).

It's sad to live in a world where these dynamics play out even on a micro-scale.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

But why do people make such a fuss over torture, which was the right thing to do if it helped to catch the 9-11 attackers? In fact, maybe it's the one thing the U.S. did that was right, in response to 9-11.

What a paradox! The most rational action done is the one that is the most universally condemned and preached against.

No, torture is never right. It is certainly not the most rational action of the whole war on terror.

 

[fromderinside]

What I find equally disturbing about this is that he used the word "folks".

Republican talking point alert. No black democrat president can say things like Bush said things ..... except Obama also said

You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.
And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

Obama's been all about folks since 2008 at least. He's all about terrorist folks, bitter folks, you folks, some folks, my folks, your folks, our folks, their folks, .......

'nuff sed?

 

[barbos]

Yes, we torture!

 

[barbos]

What I find equally disturbing about this is that he used the word "folks".

I thought it was just me who felt weird about using word "folks" in such context.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Republican talking point alert. No black democrat president can say things like Bush said things ..... except Obama also said]

Not a republican. Wasn't a fan of Bush.

 

[untermensche]

Just watched a show on Netflix about the British in WWII and their Nazi POW's, specifically some high ranking officers who were taken to England, put up in a mansion, and secretly recorded.

A far more successful tactic for extracting information than torture has ever shown to be.

 

[fromderinside]

Republican talking point alert. No black democrat president can say things like Bush said things ..... except Obama also said]

Not a republican. Wasn't a fan of Bush.

Be careful then. You seem to be drinking the KoolAid

 

[fromderinside]

Yeah. We must say who we tortured are terrorists except may of them ain't.

Why the sensitivity over using folks? There are bad folks yano.

 

[NobleSavage]

If you are in the mood for a very depressing documentary, I recommend Taxi to the Dark Side

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0854678/

Free to watch on Youtube:

 

[Lumpenproletariat]

Hell, just do what works, and worry later about dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's"

But why do people make such a fuss over torture, which was the right thing to do if it helped to catch the 9-11 attackers?

Because we don't know if any "911 attackers" were ever caught. They were never allowed to give their side of the story. That is how we decide. But that didn't happen in this case. No evidence was ever presented and no one was allowed to defend themselves in a fair and open court.

That's quaint, but for those of us who believe the government half the time, like when they say they caught some of the bastards, and who prefer John Wayne-style kick-ass justice, you have to admit that torture does get the job done and is not something to make such a fuss over.