Bush says it's ok to torture 'terrorists' kiddies wonder 'how does this make us better than they are?'

Time Magazine (June 21 2004) reports that the 'administration has been quietly but fundamentally reshaping America's stance on torture. Contradicting 50 years of policy governing the treatment of detainees captured during conflict, the government has released memos that meticulously list all the laws against torture, then offer methods of evading them. Although the White House insists the documents were abstract musings rather than policy changes, they seem to suggest that there is at least some ambiguity about how captured persons should be treated.' 'While these memos don't explicitly endorse the use of torture' they don't do the opposite either. Although the President 'does not recall' signing off on these memos, he has been quoted as saying "Its going to be vital for us to use any means at our disposal, basically, to meet our objective." President Bush declared that US soldiers would abide by the spirit of the Geneva Conventions, but Taliban and al-Qaeda held in cuba do not qualify as prisoners of war and are therefor not subject to the treaty. '

I guess that means using dogs and sleep deprivation, specifically disallowed by Geneva...

Apparently 'terrorists' were not represented at the Geneva Conventions, so they don't have to be treated under the guidelines on handling prisoners of war underlined therein-- whatever that means. The lines are definitely blurred in my mind, and I'm not a 21 year old soldier 'at war' trying to please his commanders, trying to do a good job so I can look at my self in the mirror when I come home. As for our leaders, our generals and our Secretary of Defense (to name a few), it seems they can do whatever they want with no regard for history or the future, going to war against the will of the UN, for example. Hell why not throw peace agreements and fair play out the window too-- no one is looking. (Geneva? Why that's nowhere near Texas!) It is completely unbelievable to Americans when we see our troops being dragged burning through the streets and hung on bridges for everyone to see. We cry at the thought of those images... how can we say a word when our own government is part and parcel doing the same damn thing. I can't fathom it. It cheapens everything we stand for as a country to watch our commander and chief act willy-nilly with human lives, ours or theirs. So lets go back to the beginning, I ask the same question, what makes us think that we are better than they are, how can we claim we are fighting the good fight, when the evidence shows we are bringing as much terror on others as they are on us. I will not go so far as to say that the United States of America is run by terrorists, I can't say that because I love it too much, but if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck it must be... George W. Bush (cooking and eating lame duck since 1995.)

This country is unrecognizable from its state a mere four years ago.