Sunday, April 26, 2009

Jena: "Obama Tortures Me Every Day"

Jeffrey Jena has an amusing and insightful take on Obama, torture, and the Left's ongoing witch hunt.

He writes:

Yes, enhanced interrogation techniques work. If you don’t think so then come by my house, sign the release form and I guarantee I will have your computer password, your ATM PIN and your wife’s safe word in the bedroom in an hour. The memos which Obama released last week in order to placate his far-left base say so. It’s hard to accept one part of the memo and say the rest is a lie. Yet, for some strange reason he refuses to show the memos which the dreaded Cheney say further support the claim that enhanced interrogation worked and saved American lives. Even the guy from the right lefties love to point to as an expert on torture, John McCain says that everyone breaks. Just for the record, Mr. McCain believes all of the enhanced interrogation techniques, except for water boarding are acceptable.

So what is torture? There is no definition of torture anywhere that I can find. Is playing loud music torture? Then the kid next door to me needs to get a visit from the Attorney General so I can get some sleep. Bugs where you sleep? I always knew camping was torture! Cold and naked, that was my four years in college. Someone puts underpants on your head? Ever been to a kegger? Annoying voices saying things you find offensive, then Obama and Pelosi torture me every day.

How would the left extract information from terrorists? Sit them down in a well lit room with some nice Lazy-e-Boys and a cold soda, lean in close and say, “Do you have something to tell me?” Then lean back and wait until they are ready to open up? Maybe we could put them in therapy and in six or seven years they would have a breakthrough!

All this “torture” crap is really just the Daily Kos and MoveOn trying to get back at Bush and Cheney for starting a war they don’t like. They presented a petition with 250,000 names on it to Obama demanding he go after the previous administration. 250,000 people supporting something, where have I heard that number lately? Tea, anyone? Obama, they say, has promised to get us back to being a nation of laws. Does that include our immigration laws? Doubt it!

Read the entire article.

8 comments:

August Danowski said...

After the end of World War II, the United States was so certain that waterboarding was torture that we tried Japanese soldiers who used the technique on our troops. Anyone care to guess what sentences we imposed on the Japanese? Their punishments ranged from lengthy prison terms to being hung by the neck until dead.

Funny how after 60 years, now it is merely and "enhanced interrogation technique."

Mary said...

You might find this article interesting: "Waterboarding: A SERE-ing Experience for Tens of Thousands of US Military Personnel."

August Danowski said...

Interesting article. However, a training program designed to give soldiers a 'taste' of what they might face at the enemy's hands is categorically different from a real interrogation by that enemy. No matter how uncomfortable our soldiers might feel during training, a reasonable participant would know that their life was not truly in danger, that their commanding officer would not let them die. A US soldier captured by the Japanese in WWII or by the VC in Viet Name would not have that same guaranty.

As usual, you still have not answered the question of how to reconcile the fact that we executed Japanese soldiers for using the very same "enhanced interrogation technique" on their enemies that you now endorse for use on ours.

Mary said...

Would you care to provide details on these Japanese soldiers and their executions by the U.S.?

You can't expect me to "reconcile" cases without specific details.

By the way, cut the "as usual" stuff if you want me to take you seriously and engage in discussion.

August Danowski said...

See fact checking of statements by Sen. McCain from 2007 at Politifact:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2007/dec/18/john-mccain/history-supports-mccains-stance-on-waterboarding/

Mary said...

The details are still too sparse.

The link you provided gives a very vague overview, and briefly quotes some "experts."

I don't deny the use of waterboarding by the Japanese or their trials and punishments.

I just can't pass judgment on whether what they did in World War II and what the U.S. did after 9/11 is equivalent.

August Danowski said...

As for SERE training:

After being waterboarded himself in the SERE program, [Jesse] Ventura makes no bones about it. Waterboarding is torture.See interview and commentary here:

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/jesse-ventura-you-give-me-water-board-dick

Mary said...

Jesse Ventura?

Oh, well, that settles it.

Ventura has such gravitas. I must believe what he has to say.