This is what happens when you open the door to torture. You become one of the bad guys.
Bryan of Why Now? points out that Canada has cancelled a refugee agreement with the US because we torture:
The Canadian court has ruled that the US tortures by proxy and and does not abide by its treaty obligations. We have officially moved into the group that we once called “Evil Empires” or “Axis of Evil” because our government has chosen to become “evil”. This will, of course, complicate extradition from other countries as we are no longer considered one of the “good guys.” What can you expect when a Jewish law professor suggests that torture is permissible because it worked for the Nazis.
Maybe we can get Canada to invade and spread democracy in America...
Update: Both Bryan and Chet Scoville of Vanity Press note that we declare we have the right to go into other countries and kidnap their citizens.
I guess we need to buy those really cool knee-high boots and have book burnings now....
Update: Pygalgia also notes:
Sometimes it seems that shrub is trying to unite the world against us. I mean, last time I looked, the British were one of the few countries that we have good relations with. Pissing them off doesn't strike me as a good move.
How would America respond if another country (oh, say Germany) decided that they are entitled to abduct an American citizen (oh, say Donald Rumsfield) whom they accuse of a crime?
Or is shrub tacitly implying that America now rules the world?
Added: Cernig of The NewsHoggers adds this thought:
But the same administration has vigorously pursued immunity from prosecution for US citizens by other nations for crimes committed while in those nations. Such a double standard, fuelled by a view of American exceptionalism which draws its inspiration from past colonial powers (including, it must be admitted, Britain) gives a clear lie to administration supporters' claims of there being no intention for hegemonic dominance. Only the most blinkered "my country, right or wrong" zealots could argue otherwise.
3 comments:
My country... right our wrongs.
There may have been a time in history (or maybe not) at which the U.S. could get away with this on an ongoing basis. Bush may expect that his "whaddya gonna do about it" challenges will be answered directly by force, but I think that is unlikely: the international community will simply kick the props out from under our shaky economy, refuse to negotiate new agreements (trade- or terrorism-related), deny our citizens travel privileges, etc.
In emphasizing the thumb-in-the-eye approach, Bush leaves the U.S. vulnerable to all sorts of things as powerful as direct military confrontation. Of course, if the U.S. behaves badly enough, there's always that; after Mr. Bush's wars, there's a lot less for an enemy to fear from our strained military.
ellroon, I can't help noting that all the dictators you listed eventually fell...
There are some days that I think of trying to apply for refugee status in Canada.
Thanks for the citation.
All the dictators fell, Steve, but they took millions of souls with them and left wreckage and ruin in their wakes. Do we have to go through that here at home as well?
I have to laugh when Cheney snarls that all options are on the table. The response of the world is to snigger and smirk: You and whose army?
Pygalgia, Canada sounds good, but keep track of the news. They have a bunch of rightwing hijackers working in the government at the moment too....
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