Blocking the release of the torture photos

The below is a short exchange between a poster named Solopico and myself on the topic of Obama´s stance on blocking the release of the remaining torture photos.


Solopico

I'm interested to see so many here in agreement and / or understanding of this decision by President Obama, given the fact that typically here the mood is always "get him at all costs" regarding Bush / Cheney.

A few of you are willing to accept the fact that the POTUS has a very difficult job, and this has got to be a very tough decision for him to make. I agree.

My question to you is this: Can you come to terms with the fact that George W. Bush also had a tough job, and during a very trying time in our nation's history he had to make some very difficult decisions?

If you can see this (for this president), perhaps it is time to wake up and see this was also true for the last president.

If you honestly think that George Bush, Dick Cheney, or anyone else involved in decision making over the last 8 years took things lightly or enjoyed dealing with what they went through, think again.

They, like you, are simply people who love America and wanted to do whatever it took to keep her and her citizens safe.

I challenge each of you to put yourself in the position George Bush was in, and think about which decision would give you more sleepless nights - ordering the waterboarding of a terrorist (to potentially gain valuable intel), or thousands of Americans losing their lives.

me:
how about the love of humans, of decency, of compassion for everyone? Why do Americans always try to reserve that right for themselves only? Being president is not being "simply" your average Joe. I vote for someone I think has the intelligence to make the right decisions. Its running this fucking country, for chrissake. That Bush was completely incompetent pretty much came to shine like a glaring fireball early on in his tenure. Actually, I knew that before he came into power. Call me a prophet.

Thats why there are laws - within those laws you make your decisions. That goes for you, that goes for me, that goes for the president - no one is above the law. Thats the whole point!

The law applies to each of us in equal measures. And maybe if Bush would not have seen himself as above these laws like some Imperialist Message-from-God type throwback to pre-French Revolution Monarch (not only within the US but international treaties the US signed), then maybe making certain decisions would have contained more justice for everyone.

How can you even consider defending someone who fabricated lies wag-the-dog style to justify a completely unjustifiable war? A war that cost not only American lives and thousands upon thousands of innocent civilian lives? Every life lost was innocent because it was and still is for NOTHING!!!

Oh, and btw - Not only Americans lost their lives on 9/11 due to Bush's complete and utter disregard for the available intelligence that existed.



Solopico

"The love of humans" led Bush and Cheney to do everything humanly possible to stop more American lives from being lost.

Given the choice between your life and the comfort of someone who wants to do harm to you, I'll choose your life every day and make him as uncomfortable as possible to keep you safe. Excuse me if you don't appreciate that.

And btw - Clinton had as much or more to do with 9/11 as Bush / Cheney. It was Clinton who made it so the FBI and CIA could not communicate, and depleted their budgets to miniscule amounts.



me:

In regards to Clinton: don´t know enough about that to respond accordingly. But I do know there was obviously money left to have sufficent intelligence that a possible strike within the US was looming.

And all I get from the remainder of your response is that only Americans are worth treating humainly.

And no, I don't appreciate anyone torturing anyone else to keep me safe.

Because torture does not keep anyone safe except the manical repressed sadists resorting to these war crimes. Safe in their belief of sadly misguided self-preservation.

And you know what the worst part is about these sadists? They don't even do it themselves which would contain at least a shred of an odd sort of integrity. Instead they just sign off to get the lowlies to do the dirty work.

That is simply disgusting. Anyone step up to the plate when those guards at Abu Ghraib were crucified?

I'm listening.......

PS I completely and utterly condemn Obama´s blockage of the release of further material. He is morphing on these issues into Bush. And thats more than disturbing.