Can the torture issue be distilled down to this?

[Doctor_J]

By refusing to hold Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, and the rest responsible, is the Obama administration an accessory after the fact to the war crimes? Sully says yes. I will not vote in this poll

11 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, they are making themselves accessories
	9 (82%)
	No, they are not accessories
	2 (18%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Vattel]

1. no it can't be distilled down to that.

It's about preventing the use of torture in the future and convincing the int'l community of our commitment not to torture. Accountability could help with that, but so could other things. Nobody wants to talk about how best to move forward.

[noise]

3. The Obama administration

has helped spin the torture program as a good faith effort by panicked officials. How does lying to the public help prevent future abuse?

Why is it ok for the Obama administration DOJ to pursue investigations of whistleblowers who dare leak information about corruption but give a pass to high level Bush administration officials who implemented a grossly criminal torture program?

[Vattel]

4. obama has been a disaster on this issue

[uppityperson]

2. There is much more to it than that, so I have to chose Other.

If you wanted to ask if the Obama administration is an accessory after the fact, I would answer differently than asking if the "torture issue" can be distilled down to that.

[Recursion]

5. No, in that that's not what an "accessory" is, legally

Though the administration is definitely burning through most of what's left of my goodwill towards them here.

[cantbeserious]

6. Yes - Letting Known War Criminals Walk Free - Is A Crime Against Humanity - In And Of Itself

eom

[Old Codger]

7. At best

This administration is guilty of malfeasance,and failure to follow their oath of office.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Obstruction of justice is a crime.

[Adrahil]

25. prosecutorial discretion isn't obstruction.

It never has been. And if it were, then Obama's immigration EO would be illegal, which it isn't.

[newfie11]

9. Of course!

these people are guilty
of war crimes and need to
be prosecuted, preferably at The Hague.
As a country we have done a tremendous amount of damage to many countries for
Years. Sadly I don't see anything changing. Greed and power are the ruling force in America.

[KG]

10. let's all pretend torture isn't still happening.

because obama.

[woo me with science]

11. ^^^^^^^^^

[woo me with science]

16. Lots of pretending.

Lots of propaganda.

[Adrahil]

12. No...that's not how the law works.

I think Obama would prosecute in a heart beat if he didn't know if would make things much worse politically.

[Doctor_J]

13. how could things get worse politically?

Second, if he'd prosecuted them in 2009, we'd still have the house and Senate.

[Adrahil]

14. It would fall into the trap of using the legal system for political reprisal.

The Repugs already want to impeach any democratic President. Such actions would, IMO, just encourage them along that path.

And I disagree with your assessment on Congress. I think the tea bagger cry about FEMA caps and Brownshirts would have gotten much louder. But my political strategy on how to take and keep Congress is another issue.

Having said that, I sure would like to see those guys behind bars. They certainly deserve it. What they did... To those prisoners AND my country... Completely disgusts me.

[Scuba]

20. Yes, we'd hate for the Republicans to treat BHO with disrespect. Can't have that.

[Adrahil]

21. You're being glib, but it's a real issue. n/t

[Scuba]

22. Just how could they treat him worse?

[Adrahil]

24. Well, I think we'll see in a few months....

... but I have no doubt that they would have made it the ONLY issue that got talked about. And they would have impeached immediately upon taking power.

Frankly, the divisiveness won't really start to abate for a generation, when the demos really change and the old, racist, conservative f*cks die off. I'll miss my in-laws when they go personally, but I won;t miss their votes.

[Doctor_J]

27. "I'm going to let these war crimes go because I might get impeached"

Wow. No wonder we're in such bad shape as a party and as a nation.

[TBF]

15. My guess is that it has happened

before and after - I hardly think this is confined to the Bush administration although they may have reached new lows in their tactics.

As horrific as it is I don't expect this sitting president (or any really) to hold Bush et al accountable. When Pelosi said "off the table" I think she meant it.

[RedCappedBandit]

17. Complicity is guilt. nt

[99Forever]

18. It's even simpler than that. Moral and right or immoral and wrong.

There is no middle ground.

[NCTraveler]

19. Accessory and complicit are two different things.

I voted not accessory. I voted that way because I think people are whitewashing our own parties involvement. Complicit is the word, not accessory.

[Johonny]

23. I don't knwo that the US is different than anywhere else on this.

History is mixed on arresting, killing, and simply letting people like them rot away in time. The fear most have is by making no definitive statement on this is that the younger people in the administration will flow back into power with time. It certainly happened with Iran Contra and Watergate. But to make it clear it just isn't the US that isn't doing nothing (well, we're now admitting to the world all the things we did, but not apparently going after legal charges for having done it). So far the rest of the world has not demanded much action be taken. Where are the sanctions, the ending of trade deals, the pulling out of NATO? More to the point 1/3 of the world helped us do this! I doubt simply letting the information out is enough to prevent the next generation of rethugs from sweeping into power and with them will come more torture. We know that now.

[Doctor_J]

26. Rall's toon today claims that by not prosecuting, Obama is sustaining the "moral corruption"

and I tend to agree. I wish I knew what happened to the moral man who campaigned in Obama's body in 2008.