05-06-2009, 07:44 AM
Quote:Gien that neither you nor I are in teh business, and that professionals who have actually been involved both agree and disagree with you, what you believe isn't of much weight. Since a great deal of what General Hayden and ex VP Cheney assert was useful info is apparently still not in the public domain, we are left wondering, at best. That you are skeptical of them, given this being politics, is understandable.
I'd reopen the timeliness issue, but won't boher. Not enough time.;)
Occhi
Torture might sometimes have yielded some useful information. However I think that the damage done to our credibility, the increase in anti-western sentiments, the increase in the size of the stick to beat the US government with and because of this the increase in willingness of eg farmers in the middle of Aghanistan that have never travelled to another country to get involved in terrorism, have had a much larger impact.
Look at what the russians have been doing in chechenya for years.....I mean if your army commits such artrocities you shouldn't be surprized if you become a victim of terrorism. That is not nice, but that is how things work.
If you are the most powerful nation in the world, the only way to go is to behave correctly....all other options will make you lose credibility and support.
eppie
ps the only reason for the Cuba boycot was the fact that the rich could show off by smoking nice cuban cigars that normal people were not allowed to buy. So in that sense comparable to the ban on drugs....using cocain is so much nicer if it also showsother people that you are rich and succesful.