Poster for a side-show at the Vermont State Fair, Rutland - September 1941
Boy, David Broder has really outdone himself on this one, and not in a good way. This is as shocking an opinion piece as I've seen on this issue.
We can’t prosecute lawbreakers if some people calling for prosecutions don’t have “pure” motives? What the heck does that have to do with evidence that crimes were committed? When have we ever considered the motives of anyone, other than the criminals themselves when deciding whether to prosecute?
Mr. Broder also wrongly believes that politics and not evidence should determine whether to prosecute or not prosecute when he states that Obama and not AG Holder and the DOJ should make this determination. That is un-American. Our system of government does not support political interference in prosecutions, as any school child knows.
Mr. Broder also tells us that the memos on torture were a deliberate policy decision made in all the “proper” places by “proper” officials but he doesn’t mention that what these “proper” officials decided in these “proper” places was to “improperly” develop a policy of breaking the law. That’s not a “proper” policy, that’s criminal behavior. This is not about criminalizing policy differences it’s about pointing out that the policy itself was criminal.
To use Broder's flawed logic, if these "proper" people in "proper" places determined they would have a policy to murder every first born child in this country that would be a legitimate policy that should not be prosecuted. What sheer nonsense.
David Broder should be ashamed of himself for writing such drivel.
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The almost irresisable urge to "move forward" is in this case, flawed logic.
ReplyDeleteProsecution of war criminals is ALWAYS done after War Crimes are committed. Before the accused committed the crime, there was no criminal act to prosecute.
Has Mr. Broder gone mad??
The entire American Legal System brings accused criminals to trial, AFTER they have committed crimes, not before. But it DOES enforce the law.
The enforcement of the law with regard to crimes committed, after they have been committed, is what the American Legal System does.
If the accused is tried and found guilty, punishment follows.
These are crimes. There are those who committed these crimes. These accused should have the full benefit of counsel and a trial, something they DID NOT give the hundreds of detainees, many of whom are innocent of any wrongdoing at all.
Equal treatment under the law..............for the accused torturers, and for those who were tortured.
THAT IS THE LAW, whether the Bush Administation found it QWAINT or not.
I think one day, David Broder, might come to regret writing this column. Although he does seem to have a remarkable ability to block out the truth, so maybe not.
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