Thanks, Bob, for posting this, and thanks to Migeru for bringing it up again. It's too important to just let it lie.
Anyone who has read my diaries knows how passionately I feel on this issue, so I won't belabor that.
But the key missing link in all discussions of this area ins the question of why we tolerate this behavior.
As an American, I must admit, WE torture. It's our
government, n'est pas?--or it's all just a game of democracy charade.

So--Why do we?

We all know that as a means to get good information it fails. Yet we still do it.

The blogosphere talks endlessly about just how many crimes Bush has to commit before we will impeach him, and it would appear, from Pelosi's and Reed's comments of today that there is no limit to the criminal, barbaric behavior that they will tolerate from Bush. Torture has failed to qualify as an impeachable offense. But they work for us, do they not?

So, --that's it, folks. Move along. Don't block the sidewalk. Read it and weep.

It's not THEM. It's us. Wherever we live, we fail in our obligation to humanity when we sit silently.
Here's a link to the story of someone who did not fail that obligation. Read it and cheer.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071029/brecher_smith

Then get off the butt and do something.

I have my own small things I do. I am a rolling advertisement for Ehrin Watada's courage and eloquence. Posted on the back of my battery scooter is this:

      Who Is Ehrin Watada?

      Qui Est Ehrin Watada?

Lieutenant Ehrin Watada is an American Hero.
He is on trial for refusing an illegal order to go to Iraq, and participate in an atrocity.
His reasons for believing the order to be illegal were and are very good ones.
I am proud of Ehrin, and I ask you to support him, to learn his story, and to tell it. The world needs men like him.

Lieutenant Ehrin Watada c'est un heros americain.
Il va passer jugement pour se refuser une commande illegal d'aller a Iraq, et de participer dans une atrocite.
Ses raisons pour croire que le commande etait illegal etaint et sont bonnes.
Je suis fier d'Ehrin, et je vous demande de lui appuyer, d'apprendre son histoire, et de la raconter.
Le monde a besoin de gents comme lui.

http://www.thankyoult.org/

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071029/brecher_smith

Capitalism searches out the darkest corners of human potential, and mainlines them.