Thursday, December 03, 2009
The ugly logical consequences.
Dear terrorists and other bad people:
Our government does not give a crap if foreigners captured by our troops are tortured. As a logical extension of that policy, it's only fair that we extend to you the same courtesy. If you capture any Canadian troops, we'd appreciate it if you didn't treat them any worse than how we're allowing your folks to be treated.
Thank you for your consideration.
P.S.
Dear terrorists:
Me again. As I understand it, we're hanging our defense on the fact that we didn't do the torturing ourselves. Rather, we simply passed on that job to people with a talent and history for it, then conveniently looked the other way. For the sake of technical fairness, you might want to do the same. I'm sure you know the right people.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
If you capture any Canadian troops, we'd appreciate it if you didn't treat them any worse than how we're allowing your folks to be treated.
Oh, you're going to get it for writing that.
Oh, you're going to get it for writing that.
You mean it's only bad if they do it?
(while we go on about human rights and other such technicalities)...
You mean it's only bad if they do it?
No, the interpretation that he seriously wants Canadian soldiers to be mistreated.
The Right will easily insist that's what this means. Thank God we've all been accused of worse things by them, for years now.
In fact, I'm having hard time trying to figure out what moral degeneracy we haven't been accused of.
Avarice? Corporate welfare?
As I see it, I'm being ruthlessly fair and balanced here. Are you saying that's suddenly a bad thing? Huh. How odd.
I agree with CC here - if our troops will let their prisoners be tortured, they have to suffer the consequences and expect it coming right back.
The old rules for POWs in war were to protect those who couldn't fight any longer - you didn't istreat your prisoners and in return the enemy wouldn't mistreat you if you were caught.
If you let your prisoners get all the skin burnt off their bodies and electrocuted regularly, well... expect the same damn thing to happen to you in turn.
No mercy begets no mercy. Fuck em all.
Avarice? Corporate welfare?
Surely you jest.
I figured when they blamed us for 9/11, they'd have nowhere else to go, but that seems almost like flirtation now.
Excuse me, darlings, but the troops are not allowing anything -- they're following standard command structure. Which, in case anyone is wondering, is exactly how an armed force is supposed to operate.
ROE anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Excuse me, darlings, but the troops are not allowing anything -- they're following standard command structure.
I think (hope?) we know that. In fact, Andrew Coyne did something useful for a change the other day over at MacLean's (buried in a comment amid an avalanche of wingnuttery) and reminded the wingnuts (who were asserting that even speculating about this was an indirect way of accusing the soldiers themselves of war crimes, since they were maintaining that 'following orders is no excuse') that that isn't entirely true. If someone is unaware of illegal activities, following orders is a defence. Only a few things are manifestly illegal, such as genocide.
Excuse me, darlings, but the troops are not allowing anything -- they're following standard command structure. Which, in case anyone is wondering, is exactly how an armed force is supposed to operate.
Then Command should learn a lesson before they are taught a lesson by furious soldiers.
The moment our soldiers hear of their prisoners being sent out for torture, they should take back their prisoners to their barracks to watch over, with guns blazing if they have to.
Canadian troops want to be thought of as noble? Better start acting the part.
Post a Comment