The Lie Of The Free

Freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial are no longer relevant in modern America. In a day when the likes of rape gurney Joe Lieberman is putting forward legislation that would allow the government of the United States to strip individuals, merely accused of terrorism, of their citizenship it should not be too great a surprise. And the subservient lap dogs that infest our halls of power seem perfectly content to bury their snouts in that big dog's hind and accept the stench as the perfume of power and not as symptomatic of a disease that needs to be fought.

The always brilliant skdadl over at Pogge! points out that the disgusting and illegal kangaroo charade being perpetrated at Gitmo has permanently ejected reporters from the Star, the Globe and even Canwest from covering the ongoing travesty of justice. The pretense is that they printed the name of a witness protected by what they're passing off as a trial. It is telling that the individual being "protected" already has a measure of fame as befits his prosecution and conviction for detainee abuse. Before this mockery of a trial even began, the individual in question had given an interview to the Star. The Pentagon has decided that their protected witness would be referred to only as "Interrogator No. 1". But Joshua Claus, the walking vermin in question has a Wikipedia page that details his admission of guilt in the routine torture of "extrajudicial detainees" and the homicide of at least two of the prisoners there. His role as one of Khadr's interrogators has been known to the public for more than two years.

I am confident we can count on Stephen Harper's government to bleat some vague tripe about ongoing blah blah as they continue to turn a blind eye to war crimes, torture and crimes against humanity. When we are not the authors of such crimes, our government is happy to tacitly accept and approve of the demise of our honour and credibility. We are no less the terrorists for our complicity than those that pull the triggers and plant the bombs. I don't enjoy feeling ashamed of this land. We, the people of Canada, are better than this. And if we are not better than this, then we should bloody well aspire to become better, far better.

Mr Harper you are guilty of crimes against humanity and crimes against the person of Omar Khadr whose human rights and charter rights have been grossly violated. As a child soldier, Khadr's protection as a Canadian citizen and under the Geneva Conventions was your duty. You have stood idly by and when that was insufficient you actively prevented the right thing being done. Mr Obama, you were elected in an upwelling of hope for positive change. you fed into and were in turn nourished by the idea that you would steer the ship of the American state away from the gross abuses of law and justice perpetrated by the prior administration. Turns out you lied through your teeth as your forces in your command bombs civilians in third party nations. The very fact that this farcical "military commission" is taking place on your watch is an indictment of you and your presidency. So much for the promise to close Gitmo and clean up the mess you inherited. Turns out you decided to wallow in the filth instead.

What the hell were my old man and the other veteran's fighting for in WW2? It sure as hell wasn't to see torturers and murderers wearing the uniforms they had served in and it certainly wasn't to follow the illegal orders of corrupt rulers. The greatest generation staked their lives against secret prisons. They left their homes and families and sacrificed in every regard to bring low those that would create a Bagram or an Abu Ghraib. Mr Harper, Mr Obama, you and your generals bring shame to the memories and uniforms of the men who fought for freedom and for justice. In a slip of time it would be you two in the docks at Nuremberg with your generals and those who followed the orders you give. We will never defeat evil by becoming evil ourselves. Shame on you and shame on us for abiding your disdain of our better instincts and natures.