PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TORTURE

"Under the policy, is waterboarding prohibited? In waterboarding, the prisoner is tied head-down on an inclined board, cellophane or a cloth is wrapped over his face, and water is poured over him. The technique produces an overwhelming and agonizing sensation of drowning."
~ Human Rights Watch, "Fifteen Questions for the U.S. Government".

FOX News ran a public service announcement for waterboarding recently. Don't know what "waterboarding" is? You can check out Wikipedia or you can watch FOX's PSA right here:

Late last month, the claim was made that the US doesn't use torture, but in light of the new Military Commissions Act, I find that difficult to believe, from the AP, courtesy of Yahoo:

Snow [Tony Snow, Whitehouse spokesman], at a morning meeting with reporters, tried to brush off the controversy.

"You know as a matter of common sense that the vice president of the United States is not going to be talking about water boarding. Never would, never does, never will," Snow said. "You think Dick Cheney's going to slip up on something like this? No, come on."

Snow said Cheney did not interpret the question as referring to water boarding and the vice president did not make any comments about water boarding. He said the question put to Cheney was loosely worded.

In water boarding, a prisoner is tied to a board with his head slanted down and a towel covering his face. Water is then poured on his face to create the sensation of drowning.

The administration has repeatedly refused to say which techniques it believes are permitted under a new law. Asked to define a dunk in water, Snow said, "It's a dunk in the water."

At a televised briefing later, the questions turned tougher and more pointed.

"The vice president says he was talking in general terms about a questioning program that is legal to save American lives, and he was not referring to water boarding," Snow said.

Yet, the spokesman conceded, "I can understand that people will look at this and draw the conclusions that you're trying to draw."

Semantics. . . whether you want to call it "a dunk," or "waterboarding," or just plain, old-fashioned "drowning," the effect is the same. Since there is absolutely no clarity with regard to torture in the fascist law referred to as the Military Commissions Act, then why should we believe the regime? The fact is that torture produces tainted evidence and should never be permitted in court. But I guess that under the Military Commissions Act, there is no court, is there?

After watching the video, do you think Steve Harrigan could have been persuaded to admit to anything demanded of him, if for no other reason than to stop the torture? Does it matter that he's "okay" afterwards?

It's amazing that the fascist FOX News channel would actually air something like this, telling us, "Look guys! Everything's okay! It's just a little water up the nose!" How about a little falakka, Steve? Or perhaps the application of electricity to the scrotum? You'll be fine afterwards--trust me. The only reason FOX and the American regime are promoting waterboarding is that it doesn't leave nearly as much evidence as, say, a little anal rape with a truncheon.

And if you read the AP article, you could clearly see that the American people endorse torture. Hence the new American anti-terror law was signed into law with little protest over here.

Don't believe the Democratic hypocrisy which says that they're the party of No Torture. How did the Military Commissions Act pass Congress if they weren't for it too? Need further evidence? Do a little checking of the Carter administration's policies in Central America, or the Clinton administration's arms sales to Turkey.

And if you're one of those who's planning to cast your vote in tomorrow's midterm elections, remember this: No matter who you vote for, the State still wins!