AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[gfish]

So, some memos were recently leaked from the Bush administration that outlined a legal framework to allow the use of torture, in explicit violation of federal and international law.

Excuse me while I rant a little.

I'm going to sleep so much better knowing that the current administration has its finest legal minds looking for ways to define torture as acceptable. I mean, they draw the line (for now) at intentionally inflicted pain that approaches that of 'organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death'. I'm glad that people can only have a few square inches of skin burned off. Unless, of course, the torturer is only incidentally inflicting that much pain, in which case it's all good. I mean, that isn't a loophole the size of the Chunnel or anything. I'm sure these powers would never be abused.

Didn't we just impeach a President because of legal trickery over a blowjob? A legal, fun, victimless act practiced by most adults? I seem to remember seeing that in the papers a few years back. Is this what things have come to, where we'd rather have our leaders excusing torture than oral sex? Maybe this is new form of abstinence education. Don't even think about having safe, consensual, positive sex, kids. It's dirty! Sublimate your urges by physically and mentally abusing those weaker than you! If you absolutely can't get your mind off genitals, you can always attach some jumper cables to them. Just don't touch them!

This is it. I've always been able to avoid patriotic feelings. I can't do it any more. I'm deeply and honestly angry at the administration. They've managed to not just make me ashamed of being an American, but they've actually made me wish I could be proud. Congratulations, Messrs. Shrub, Petrol, Hawk and Boobworm. You've done the impossible. You've offended my sense of national identity.

...unfortunately, I don't think this has made me feel any better.

Comments

[rollick.livejournal.com]

Well put. I don't know that it makes me feel any better either, but I admire the way you express it.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Found you via metaquotes.

Don't you think this is a natural outgrowth of a culture that considers blood-spattered walls, immolated corpses, impalement, dismemberment and decapitation more acceptable in entertainment than female frontal or rear male nudity?

I can name you PG rated movies that contain all the above, including the nudity. Most are still PG today, but the nudity ones have been reclassified R. Male rear nudity gets an automatic PG-13 today.

[cjk1701.livejournal.com]

(Found this via metaquotes as well)

I was always taken aback at what I perceive to be hypocricy in the US media. Somehow, pointing at the Founding Fathers and saying that it's their Puritan morals whodunnit doesn't really help.

Why, yes, let's show our children gratitious violence, blood, gore and death in all guises. It will put hairs on their chests, and besides, it's all harmless fun, anyway! But, OMGWTFBBQ, we can't let them see people naked! And kissing, and loving each other, and displaying physical affection! It might Teach Them Things! They will be dirty, sullied, and try Those Dirty Things themselves! Let's never, ever, teach them about sex, either! If they don't know about it, they won't ever do it!

I'm very sorry if this is going to offend anyone, but such policies remind me a little of my kid brother's ideas. Machine guns and shooting is cool, but, ewwwww! naked girls! Eww!

*steps off her soapbox*

Your post rocked, by the way, gfish.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Actually, the violence is presented in such an unrealistic (and in some cases shocking) way, the kids would never do it.

They're never going to go Jack-the-Ripper on some streetwalker and make even the cops barf as per Time after Time.

They won't be slaughtering farmers like Star Wars or exploring tombs like in Raiders of the Lost Ark. They aren't going to be getting into lightsaber duels or lopping the heads off of medusae as Perseus did in Clash of the Titans.

They are much more likely to be having affairs with English nurses (Hanover Street--PG--contains some of the most explicit sex I've seen outside of pornos) or making love to their wives (Regarding Henry--PG-13, no nudity).

It's our old Victorian morality biting us again.

"It's much better for children to see violence than sex. After all, when will they ever imitate the violence?" --my father, jokingly, when I pointed this out.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

I wonder how much of the 'BOOBIES OMG RUN' attitude is because much of American-based religion teaches that masturbation is a sin.

If you can't enjoy your own body, you aren't going to enjoy others.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Not me. I think much of the torture scandal came about because some Americans are just sick, twisted bastards.

[grinninfoole.livejournal.com]

I agree, of course. Unlike you, I still take my identity as an American very seriously in my every day life. Unlike most people who say that, however, I feel that we are mostly a nation of fuck ups. As Rob Cordry put it on the Daily Show: "The world should understand that just because torture is something we did do, it's still something we wouldn't do." I spent a lot of the 80s really pissed off at this nation for two reasons: first, we locked into the cold war MAD nuclear staredown, and second, because we constantly justified our actions in the name of ideals that I cherish, and which are, in fact, lies.

I'm glad that you are on same page with me, and I salute your eloquence.

(OH, and where the hell does Ashcroft get off withholding the memos from the Senate? He specifically did NOT invoke executive privilege or any other legal pretext for doing so, he simply refused. Where do Republicans find attorneys general like him? I wonder what he'll do when subpoenaed?)

On the other hand...

[grinninfoole.livejournal.com]

We are apparently not the only ones disgusted with the state of the nation under Bush Junior.

But these folks are really different from us....

http://www.christianexodus.org/index.php?module=PostWrap&page=home

[lots42.livejournal.com]

If Bush tortured an intern, I'm all for throwing him in jail.

We gotta remain level here.

And yes, I want these memos investigated also