Enhanced Torture Techniques

• thoughts from rob loggia
• August 14, 2015

Yesterday GOP Presidential candidate Marco Rubio declared that if he were elected, he would "demand that the Cuban government carry out political and human rights reforms to maintain diplomatic relations."; While failing to understand what our possible interest could be in the political forms and practices of another sovereign nation, the concern about human rights abuse is admirable if it is genuine. Human rights abuses by individuals or governments, both enemies and allies, are abhorrible and inexcusable in all cases. We congratulate Mr. Rubio for his concern over global human rights in the context of American foreign policy.

In his quest to vanquish human rights abuses, he could get a fast start right here at home. In fact, without even leaving the confines of his own party, can't get easier than that! For we are sure that torture qualifies as an abuse of human rights, at least by every definition of the word that we are aware of. Since he has not been elected yet and can safely leave Cuba to the attention of others, he could devote some time to initiating a dialog in the Republican Party to determine why members of that party apparently believe that human rights abuses are excusable if they're useful. For that, in essence, is what Jeb Bush is "leaving the door open"; for.

Perhaps we should feel reassured that Mr. Bush says he believes torture is generally inappropriate, and that he is glad that his brother ramped it down when he was President. But he can't bring himself to agree to the idea that torture is wrong in "every condition, under every possible scenario."; He rationalizes this by drawing a distinction ( that he seems unable to define) between "enhanced interrogation techniques"; and torture.

I'm sure other governments have their own fancy names for torture. We're not sure that Mr. Bush would be so fast to draw a distinction like this were he to undergo the North Korean "Government Minister Education and Enlightnment Program."; Actually, we're not sure he'd be in the position to do much of anything after that one. Perhaps he'd prefer the Iranian "Intelligence Cooperation Procedure.";

This whole human rights thing may just be one big misunderstanding. I'm sure that the nations we currently condemn for human rights abuses would be happy to stipulate that human rights abuses are generally inappropriate, as Mr. Bush has done. So long as they call it something else, it shouldn't matter what they do. And as long as what they do produces results, like keeping other people safe, there are no moral implications to speak of.

Seems like Mr. Rubio has his work cut out for him.

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