There is this stubborn insistence on highlighting the same kind of moral superiority, contrary to all evidence. But isn't the whole so-called war on terror, and the continued American military involvement in the Middle East, the lethal unmanned drone program, which has killed thousands, the unconditional support for Israel and all sorts of oppressive regimes, and much more, all "morally, legally and administratively misguided?"
Between Cheney's bullying attitude and Obama's/Feinstein's, which claims that the massive, outsourced program is merely a "stain" on otherwise perfect American values, the report is unlikely to change much. Justice is unlikely to be served.
There can be no serious rethink and moral awakening without talking full responsibility, not just of vile torture tactics, but the entirety of the US's misguided foreign policy which is predicated on violence, and lots of it.
"I will leave to others how they might want to label these activities," Brennan said.
The report indicated that detainees were tortured before they were even asked to cooperate. How does one label that Mr. Brennan? Even by the logic of those who torture, such tactics are senseless.
Should some insist on the old, tired "few bad apples" argument, the report indicated that in "Detention Site Green" CIA interrogators objected to the continued use of torture, before they were told to carry on by their seniors. No few bad apples. The whole barrel is rotten.
There can be no justification to what the US has done, not just against suspects in its global wars, but against entire nations, who were completely innocent of any involvement in any terror attacks on 11 September, prior or after that date.
But CIA torture being a "stain" on an otherwise flawless record doesn't suffice either. In fact, in some way, this logic is the heart of the problem, since it blocks any attempt at honest reading of whatever "values" Washington stands for, and tries to achieve, using "soft diplomacy" of "rectal feeding".
What is equally worrying to what the report has contained is the existing mindset in the US, among the ruling class and the media.
This reality can be best summarised in the words of a Fox News show co-host, Andrea Tantaros: "The United States of America is awesome, we are awesome," she exclaimed.
"The reason they want to have this discussion is not to show how awesome we are. This administration wants to have this discussion to show us how we're not awesome."
With such overriding thoughtless mindset, there is little evidence to show that such "awesomeness" will cease anytime soon, even if at the expense of many innocent people.
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