Gallup:
A new Gallup Poll finds 51% of Americans in favor and 42% opposed to an investigation into the use of harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects during the Bush administration. At the same time, 55% of Americans believe in retrospect that the use of the interrogation techniques was justified, while only 36% say it was not. Notably, a majority of those following the news about this matter "very closely" oppose an investigation and think the methods were justified.
Friedman seems to follow those sentiments in todays New York Times first taking the "it'll tear the country apart" meme:
Look, our people killed detainees, and only a handful of those deaths have resulted in any punishment of U.S. officials.
The president’s decision to expose but not prosecute those responsible for this policy is surely unsatisfying; some of this abuse involved sheer brutality that had nothing to do with clear and present dangers. Then why justify the Obama compromise? Two reasons: the first is that because justice taken to its logical end here would likely require bringing George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and other senior officials to trial, which would rip our country apart; and the other is that Al Qaeda truly was a unique enemy, and the post-9/11 era a deeply confounding war in a variety of ways.
He also uses the "Al Qaeda is unique meme" which I assume the "55% retrospect" comes from. Only problem is this is a position which has been given since the beginning of time from rulers, nations, and states, that face new challenges to their power base so I don't buy that one... its not unique or justification for going outside the law.
But to the question of tearing the country apart I still have to say I don't buy it. The sky isn't falling and it won't be falling if we seek justice on this issue. I could be wrong and the end will be nigh (what does nigh mean?) if we start investigating but I'm pretty confident it won't be.
David Robinson, down Pickens Democrat way sent me this:
How is it possible that we're having a debate about whether torture is OK? Were we dragged that far backward in only eight years? Yes, 9-11 was terrible; but are our values that fragile, that easily abandoned? Are we not as "exceptional," as far above the brutality of much of humanity as we like to think? The first article has a simple explanation, but it points out a weakness easily exploited by demagogues, so it isn't comforting.
"Torture, Values, and Political Considerations"
http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009041724/torture-values-and-political-considerations"The Torture Moment"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-torture-moment_b_190687.html"How Torture Worked to Sell the Iraq War"
http://www.truthout.org/042509A"CIA official: no proof harsh techniques stopped terror attacks"
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/66895.html"In 2002, Military Agency Warned Against 'Torture': Extreme Duress Could Yield Unreliable Information, It Said"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042403171.html
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