Re: [Pen-l] William Kristol: Obama will be calling Cheney for advice

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

Doug Henwood wrote:
> 
> On Jan 12, 2009, at 11:08 AM, Julio Huato wrote:
> 
> > I have no idea whether Obama will use his power to prosecute Cheney,
> > Bush, etc.
> 
> Of course he won't. This is as certain a bet as anything on earth.
> There are so many reasons why: BHO's own caution and conservatism, the
> interest of any politician in not setting a precedent for his or her
> successors, unwillingness to scare the national security
> professionals, and the permanent interests of imperial power, just to
> name a few.

I don't know if torture figured in U.S. Army tactics during the "Indian
Wars," but it became standard practice with the pacification of the
Philippines. I believe there have been studies, though I can't remember
one now, of the reasons colonial powers inevitably adopt torture as
policy (and arrmies of occupation, except in very special               
instances) are in the same postion as colonial administrations). As I
said in my preceding post, Bush policy was new only in its openness. But
whatever governments (conservative or liberal) may do, it is an extreme
instance of the treason of the intellectuals for left writers to mask or
apologize either for torturers or for politicians who 'cover up' for
torturers. That ought to be one function at least of intellectuals: to
maintain at leas a formal allegiance to civilized consensus.

Carrol

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