Monday, November 14, 2005

Bisquits & Ethics

Tired but posting. Three Cool Old Guys told me yesterday that I had to put the editorial from The Third Estate Sunday Review up here:

"Editorial: Bisquits and Ethics"
Guantanamo Bay. Where the doctors and the interrogators play. Where seldom is heard an ethical word . . .
Jane Mayer told us of the Bisquit program -- Behavioral Science Consultation Teams. They share medical issues, these doctors, with military intel and advise them on how to make the "interrogations" more effective. Such as what phobia a detainee may have.
Mayer's article was entitled "The Experiment" and we think that's an appropriate description of what's going on in Guantanamo. Medical professionals aiding and experimenting . . . on human beings. The Nazis conducted experiments on those they imprisoned.So how much can you take, America? How much can you tolerate and stomach to let Bully Boy continue his Terror on the World?
The SERE program developed these or similar techniques. The purpose then was to condition the military not to break under torture. Now the same knowledge is being used to harm.
Are you okay with that? What about when, as Laura Flanders pointed out on last night's The Laura Flanders Show, when these techniques migrate to our shore and our system of "justice"?Don't think they'll migrate? They weren't supposed to migrate from helping to train our military but now they're being used to harm.
They'll migrate if America doesn't find the guts and courage to say "no" now.
There is no justice in Guantamo Bay. There's no justice in what we're doing to people including people who were not even legally adults when we imprisoned them there -- imprisoned them with no charges, no contact with the outside world, no trial.
"These things take time."
Bully Boy's had over three years. How long does it take for you to grasp that this isn't the American way, it's the Bully Boy way. It goes against every principle we believe in.
And the courts have tended to agree that despite Bully Boy's power grab, they still have a right to rule on his actions. Monday the Supreme Court decided to review the Bully Boy's claim to military tribunals. So naturally, certain Republicans moved quickly to subvert the Court. We're not surprised that, we've actually grown used to that reaction from the Republicans.What did surprise us was the gang of five, Democrats who voted with the Republicans. Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson, Mary Landreau, Ron Wyden and the ever shameful Joe Lieberman. They've offered a variety of lame excuses. Kent-o Conrad wants to offer that on Veteran's Day, he heard that a law to keep the courts out of this would be a good thing.
That's his excuse. That's what he offers. Friday conversations to justify Thursday votes.
It's going to come up for a vote again in the Senate (nine senators were absent when the measure passed).
What kind of message will be sent that time? That we're scared little babies prepared to turn over all our rights, sell out all of our beliefs and that we have no faith at all in the justice system that this country built?
The so-called patriots of the right seem intent on tearing down everything they can. While saying they love the country. What exactly do they love about it? They attack every freedom that this country is supposed to embrace.
So which are you? Someone determined to dismantal our constitutional government (or just starve it down to the size where you can drown it in a bath tub)? Or maybe you're part of the look-the-other-way crowd?
At some point, you have to face reality unless you want to live the rest of your life in denial.
In dark times of the past, what's saved the country has been the courageous voices determined to speak out. These days, we hear a lot of silence. Some might call it apathy but we call it cowardice.
It's time for Americans to look at what's going on and ask themselves if this is okay? If this three year plus detention is okay with Americans?
If you don't stand up and speak out, you're aiding in the destruction of every belief that people fought for. Fought on battle fields, fought in courtrooms, fought in work places, fought anywhere that a light could be shone on the destructive path we were headed down.
In the past we were usually able to righten the course. But seems like we had a lot more brave voices then. It's time for people to start finding their voices and to join in singing "Save the Country." What's going on in Guantanamo Bay isn't just a nightmare, it's an American tragedy as we allow what we're supposed to stand for and believe in to be destroyed, month after month, year after year.







That's a great editorial and I didn't work on it so I'm not bragging on myself. Here's who is responsible for that editorial:

The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Jess, Ty, Ava and Jim,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz
Wally of The Daily Jot

The other thing that they told me was that Air America Radio is thinking of cancelling Morning Sedition. That's the show hosted by two guys, but they used to have a woman when the show started, one White, one African-American.

Is the radio network just determined to go all White?

I doubt C.I. will write about this because I know the attitude there is that when Lizz Winstead was "disappeared" the network sent the message that they aren't about "family." They really did push that when they came on. But the other thing they pushed was Al Franken. C.I. calls Franken "Baby Cries a Lot" at The Common Ills.

I think that's being kind.

He brings on his friend from the AEI and he brings on the old guy from, I think, Nixon's administration who started the war on social security but he and Baby Cries a Lot never mention that. You listen and you think, "What are all these Republicans doing on this show?" I mean, is it Meet the Press?

Here's some other things you notice:

1) There's about one woman guest for every four men.

2) Episode after episode can go by without ever hearing the voice of an African-American.

It's a show by a baby boomer, white, male for others just like him.

Three Cool Old Guys pointed out that if they replace Morning Sedition with another White male host, you will have no African-American hosts all week. On the weekend, you'll have Kyle Jason and Chuck D's shows. Each airs just one night. And they both air late night. Guess us black folks stay up all night cause we being sleeping all day?

That's the message Three Cool Old Guys think the radio network sends out.

I thought this was supposed to be a liberal network?








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