(8:30PM EST – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)
Dearest Dharmanic friends in the Blogosfera,
In 1999 I was traveling in India when Columbine happened. Everywhere I went, and I went to some pretty remote places, people I met, well at least those who had televisions, wanted to know one thing. That one thing, loosely translated, is WTF is wrong with the US anyway? What kind of crazy batshit country produces these kinds of homicidal maniacs? And why? I didn’t have a good answer. If we had a few beers or got to know each other a little, I would might have a chance to begin to try to explain it, but I couldn’t. And that’s not because I’m inarticulate. It’s because there is no satisfactory answer.
And now this. Tuesday I’m traveling to Ireland. And you know what? Everywhere I go, and I will go to some pretty rural places, people I meet will want to know one thing. That one thing, loosely translated, is WTF is wrong with the US anyway? What kind of crazyland country has black sites, extralegal extraditions, Gitmo, Bagram, waterboarding, torture, Abu Ghraib AND, and this is the important AND, AND announces that nothing should be done about those who tortured or ordered torture or wrote bogus “legal” memos to justify torture? And what kind of country that does all of that has the chutzpah (that is a revered Irish word) to lecture other countries about human rights? Isn’t that against the law in the US, to torture prisoners? Isn’t that against International Law, to torture prisoners, and then also to fail or refuse to prosecute the torturers? Isn’t that what the US prosecuted various Japanese soldiers for about 60 years ago? Didn’t the US say that the excuse of “just following orders” just wasn’t good enough to keep you from hanging? Trust me on this. On Tuesday evening, when I am sitting comfortably in a pub in Dublin, bemused by my good fortune and friendships, slowly working my way out of jet lag and into a reverie about James Joyce and looking greedily at the bottom of a pint, somebody will smile and ask me the question. And, of course, I don’t have a good answer. How could I? I’m not inarticulate. I will buy a round from time to time. But for heaven’s sake, WTF am I supposed to say about this? There really isn’t a satisfactory answer.
Well, Mr. My Friend, I could begin, that’s quite a question you’re asking me. I’m as enraged and unhappy about this as anyone, well, almost anyone. I’m not nearly as enraged and unhappy as the people who were tortured or their families, but aside from them. I haven’t got a f*cking clue why immunity or lack of action this was so prominently announced, and while we’re at it, I have no idea WTF you or I or anybody else can do about it at this point other than raise a ruckus. Not at all. And, Mr. My Friend, a first step toward making a ruckus is that you really need to visit the torture petitions and sign them, one and all. And then, and only after yo do that, let’s have another pint and see what kind of ruckus we can create.
Your pal,
davidseth
cross posted from The Dream Antilles
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Author
Thanks for reading.
in case anyone’s missed it: http://www.petitiononline.com/…
I can well imagine what other country-folk must think of us — why? Why are doing this or that? Why? Why?
And, yes, the truly “afflicted” must be asking why? why? why?
I ask “why,” too. None of what has happened is REALLY of our own making (I mean us, citizens), no, I don’t think so. Both elections were stolen, number one.
We were lied to upside, downside, rightside, leftside, all the way down the line (some of us, fortunately, caught on).
Onward, please sign all the petitions, and I would like to add, LTE’s on torture, I think, would be especially good right now.
~~~~~
Thanks for your reportage from Ireland, davidseth!
Author
satrapy.
For these kids they saw and rejected the hypocracy of the suburban experience. Media used it extensively to disarm the American public, and still uses it.
There are many alternate paths of American history readily available under the banners of New World Order, the Illuminati etc. Sifting through the mess leads down many rabbit holes but most of them make far more sense that traditional American history.
My mother showed me what a true sociopath is and the full realization of that is the one thing good people refuse to accept.