The mainstream news is all abuzz with "confessions" from Gitmo. Since when did the confessions of tortured individuals, tried in secret military tribunals count as legitimate news. Oh silly me, I keep thinking we live in a democratic republic with laws and a free press (that is so pre-9/11). I feel like I'm living in an episode of "24" with Jack Bauer.NPR was right in there with the rest. On the top-of-the-hour news broadcast (at 8pm) I heard Cory Flintoff say "military interrogators at Guantanamo Bay Cuba say Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has claimed responsibility for organizing the September 11th attacks and many other acts of terrorism..." Amazing!
It may be true or it may not be; does it really matter? In my humble opinion what does matter is that the whole procedure of kidnappings, ghost detainees, torture, renditions, secret prisons, and military tribunals--a betrayal of whatever American ideals are worth defending--is being given the media stamp of legitimacy by these uncritical broadcasts from Guantanamo.
7 comments:
What I hate most about our New America after 9/11 is how torture is considered a positive, beneficial tool for our national security. It literally puts knots in my stomach and hurts. It makes me fell powerless that I can't stop it, and angry that even if I were able I would be regarded as unpatriotic for trying.
One small thing I did years ago was take the Pledge of Nonviolence in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. It inspires me daily. There's a PDF of it here: http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/non/pledge.pdf .
So a guy we've held for five years in secret prisons, whom the administration has for years called the 9-11 mastermind, this guy allegedly confesses to organizing 9-11...and the media goes into hysterics? Does anyone else think this is just a bit too conveniently timed to get Abu Gonzalez off the front page?
US = Zimbabwe. perfect
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed stole my bicycle when I was twelve!
You too, huh, jules?
Does anyone really believe a word that is said from a guy who has been tortured for years by our government? Where is the critical questioning as this "news story" is being reported? Why are they buying whatever the Bush regime puts out without question? What has happened to my country?
What has happened to our country? 'Hijacked' is a term that just won't go away. Of course it's much more complicated than that. Chalmers Johnson's new book, 'Nemesis' tackles the big issues: e.g. that the US, as a 'hyperpower' has gotten so big for its britches that it is sacrificing its democracy for its imperial pursuits. You can't have both. The trickle down has a million forms, but the descent of NPR into propaganda is one of them. In my opinion, the US is such a big fat plum, that it is just waiting to be plucked by 'the evil ones'. As Pogo said, 'I have seen the enemy, and he is US' (emphasis mine). As Johnson says, the only way to stop this trend is 'by a mobilization of inattentive citizens. I don't know that that's going to happen. I'm extremely dubious, given the nature of conglomerate control of, say, the television networks in America for the sake of advertising revenue.' NPR's right in there. (See Amy Goodman's outstanding interview with him at democracynow.org)
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