Just for the record: I'm for prosectuing officials for authorizing torture
It's almost too much to really let in. We were a nation of systematic torture, authorized at the highest levels. We knew this already, but the most recent memos make this crystal clear. To not prosecute those who authorized this requires throwing out any semblance of rule of law or moral standing in the world. If any other country did this things to us or our allies, there's no doubt we'd call it torture and demand justice.
And I don't want to see a bunch of low-level people thrown to the courts while those at the highest levels go free.
I hope the Obama administration resists the urge to cover things up. If Obama does so, he will become an accessory to those crimes.
By the way, thanks to everyone who pushed for the release of these memos: in the Obama administraion, in the intelligence community, in the blogosphere, on television, in op-ed pages, in conversations. It was not clear that it was going to happen. Without a push for disclosiure, this would probably not have happened. Don't assume Obama will always do the right thing. In many cases on these secrecy/government power issues, he hasn't. It's easier for him to do the right thing if there's a strong push in that direction. Goodness knows there are strong forces pushing in the other direction.
And I don't want to see a bunch of low-level people thrown to the courts while those at the highest levels go free.
I hope the Obama administration resists the urge to cover things up. If Obama does so, he will become an accessory to those crimes.
By the way, thanks to everyone who pushed for the release of these memos: in the Obama administraion, in the intelligence community, in the blogosphere, on television, in op-ed pages, in conversations. It was not clear that it was going to happen. Without a push for disclosiure, this would probably not have happened. Don't assume Obama will always do the right thing. In many cases on these secrecy/government power issues, he hasn't. It's easier for him to do the right thing if there's a strong push in that direction. Goodness knows there are strong forces pushing in the other direction.
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