Germane Chomsky Article

http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20090521.htm
Obama and his ultra, fascist, right wing, American President policies. But, as Steven Colbert put it, "but, he makes the kids like it." This is Noam's key line here: "Small wonder that the President advises us to look forward, not backward -- a convenient doctrine for those who hold the clubs. Those who are beaten by them tend to see the world differently, much to our annoyance."

The Real Guantanamo?

I recently visited the detention facilities at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and was dismayed at what I saw. The place was nothing like what I expected, and I was struck by how little we Americans actually know about these facilities and the conduct of our personnel there. With every new interview and every new area walk-through I hoped to find some validation of the certainties I brought with me from the hundreds of articles, documentaries, and speeches presented to the American people by our intellectual superiors.

Instead, my experiences at Guantanamo Bay illustrate the thoroughness of the miseducation of the American people and our willingness to assume the worst about our men and women in uniform. Furthermore, the visit clearly demonstrated that there is a widespread ignorance of the complexity of the situation that we face in the current war against our terrorist enemies. This ignorance results in a focus on superficial issues instead of core questions, and a naive trust in false stories and an astonishing proclivity to be misled... - http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/a-firsthand-look-at-the-real-guantanamo/

This is the other side. Neo-cons can be dangerous. I tend to agree with one commenter Sean:

"Forget the Geneva convention, we have something called a Constitution. Gitmo was specifically created to get around the Constitution. I, for one, am sick of the Fear propaganda employed by the Bush Administration since 9/11 to wipe their asses with the Constitution and strip us of our Constitutional liberties. Our soldiers are fighting for our constitutional liberties and freedom? Really? That’s what they’re doing? Funny, considering since the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq we have less Constitutional freedoms and civil liberties in this Country."

Ineffective Torture

Well, he would know.

Cheney Says Waterboarding Was Appropriate

Vice President Cheney said the waterboarding of terrorist suspects was appropriate and that none of the methods used to get information from top al Qaeda members went too far.

In a sweeping interview with ABC News, Cheney argued that the Bush administration’s policies in the war on terror have been “crucial” to keeping the country safe.

“We’ve been able to defeat or disrupt all further attempts to strike the homeland,” Cheney stated. “It’s enormously important.”- TheHill.com

He went on to say the U.S "[doesn't] do torture." Liar.

Coalition Tells Bush To Ban Torture

A bipartisan coalition of elder statesmen, military and national security honchos, and religious leaders is calling on the president to return to pre-9/11 standards for the treatment of prisoners.

An executive order to ban torture is essential, they say, to improve national security, shore up alliances in the war on terror, and recommit to American values.

"I've been worried for some time that the way we're conducting our struggle against terrorism was undercutting America's 'soft power' – our ability to attract others," says Joseph Nye Jr., former assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs and chair of the National Intelligence Council, in an interview. "We're not only committing something unethical, but counterproductive at the same time." - Christian Science Monitor

One has to be seriously "not there" to condone torture.