OpEdNews » Mr. Obama: Don't close Guantanamo!

January 14, 2009 at 07:05:36

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Mr. Obama: Don't close Guantanamo!

by Gene Messick Page 1 of 1 page(s)

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Stories are leaking out all over the Internet that one of Obama's first acts as our President will be to close down Guantanamo. At first glance, this appears to be a powerful statement toward righting the gross and unacceptable abuses of power of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld Administration. Obama knows he must tread lightly, appearing not to slap GwB in the face, and this is one of the ways he's chosen to do it, to say to the World that this abomination against the rule of law that America stands for shall cease.

Another is this: for all of the self-justifying PR bluster that GwB got from them, the words "War on Terror" shall be laid to rest. There never was an "axis of evil" nor "war on terror" except in the twisted minds of NeoCON scriptwriters who formed the words which actor GwB memorized, just as Ronnie Rayguns did when NeoCONs took control of our Nation, and sent us down a road which led inexorably to the Meltdown of our Global Economy.

Here's a link to one of these stories: t r u t h o u t | 01.13

Obama Preparing Order to Close Guantanamo
http://www.truthout.org/011309J
Lara Jakes, The Associated Press: "President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to issue an executive order his first week in office - and perhaps his first day - to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to two presidential transition team advisers."

However, there's an even better reason NOT to close Guantanamo, equally symbolic. Closing Guantanamo, of course, does not mean turning a bunch of very bad guys loose. They will have to be incarcerated somewhere else while some justice system, somewhere, determines their fate. So they will be moved elsewhere. But the facility itself should not be torn to the ground, obliterated from our history. Guantanamo is a huge part of American history, and could be preserved as a National Park so that future generations can see how far we were led wrong by those we elected to power, and how our trust was betrayed.

Guantanamo could become a Museum of Horrors of Imperialistic Wars, just as we memorialize all other wars in our past. War for Oil. War to restore opium production in Afghanistan. War to unstabilize the Global Economy. There's a huge advantage to preserving Guantanamo as a Global historical tourist attraction, just like we do with other genocidal and holocaust-type museums. Certainly there is no dearth of material to put on display.

Imagine Interactive Exhibits where visitors can choose alternate paths of travel during the Eight Year GwB Administration, just by punching a few buttons. What would have happened if GwB had heeded the many warnings that an attack on America was imminent? What could have happened if Congress had NOT allowed GwB to invade Iraq? What could have happened if the promise to track down Osama was not abandoned in favor of trying to grab one of the World's richest oil fields? What would have happened if the secret War Plans Cheney laid out, masquerading as an Energy Policy, had been disclosed to the American people?

There are so many "what ifs" to explore. What if our Supreme Court had not declared GwB to be our President in 2000? What if Al Gore had been able to set us on a path toward energy self-sufficiency that would by now make us only marginally dependent on foreign underground oil fields? Where would we be in our quest to end Global Warming if GwB had NOT been installed as President by our Supreme Court? You can begin to see how powerful this uniquely historic Exhibition could be.

Here's a link to a litany of these Events presented by journalist Helen Thomas:

Helen Thomas | History Cannot Save Him
http://www.truthout.org/011309B
Helen Thomas, Hearst Newspapers: "As he leaves office, President Bush is passing on to his successor two wars and a growing economic debacle. What a way to go! Not to worry, Bush says he isn't concerned about how history will view his militant eight years in the White House, telling ABC News that he 'won't be around to read it.' Well, they say that journalism is the first draft of history. So I am going to predict that those future historians will not deal kindly with the Bush presidency."

But with all the marvelous possibilities presented to us by this concept, there is one better still.

What if Guantanamo is preserved as a prison for our own war criminals?

While Obama and Congress will initially shun pointing the finger of blame at those who misled us --so that Obama can focus positively on how to get us out of this mess --at some point in time, we as a Nation must face what we allowed to happen.

True, there are only 250 slots available, but Guantanamo could be expanded to accommodate more. There could be a special wing for CEOs of Wall Street Banks, so they could commiserate among themselves about why all their bonuses were stripped from them, applied back to reduce the $10,000,000,000,000 National Debt they helped bring us. There could be a wing for American Automakers who refused to recognize how their rightful role in America's future was to wean us off the desire for bigger and bigger SUVs, but instead to use their expertise to show us the way to energy self-sufficiency, with energy efficient transportation, instead of buying up and burying all inventions to that end.

And, of course, there's the Main Hall of NeoCON Horrors, where everyone in the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice/Wolfowitz/etc Administration can be incarcerated for the rest of their natural lives.

No, Mr. Obama, the best idea is not to close Guantanamo. The best idea is to keep it alive, dedicated to a new purpose, one that says to the World this: America is still a land of free democratic people, who sometimes--like all people on our Planet--will make mistakes. Converting Guantanamo to a higher purpose can become a magnificent statement of all the principles our Nation was founded to celebrate.

Think it over, please, Mr. Obama. Guantanamo, and what you do with it, could become a shining example of your legacy, symbolizing a turning point in our Nation's history.

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For 17 years Gene Messick studied and taught Design at NC State University and Cornell. Co-founding the Visual Design Program at NCSU, he established the Photography Program at Cornell, where he taught in the Architecture Department, most interested (more...)

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13 comments

Gene Messick

Link to more info

In the Article above, I wrote that there is no dearth (scarcity) of information about the crimes during GwB's Eight Years of failed leadership. Then immediately I discovered this link (below) on OpEdNews to reinforce my premise. This is not from a professional journalist, but an ordinary citizen doing an extraordinary task for all of us.

Yesterday I wandered by a TV in a store tuned to Fox "News", and since I don't own a TV, I paused to watch. Whoever the anchor person was interviewing someone with important information, he was, by his questions, clueless. Misdirection is a trademark of such blather on TV and talk Radio. Time to turn OFF your TV. We must use our gift of Internet communication effectively to counter such drivel. Read, think, and write! Here's one other person's extensive work.

A Legacy Review: My Original 40 Know Bush Facts from 2004, Part I.

by Gene Messick (34 articles, 33 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 73 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 8:12:44 AM

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Gene Messick

BTW:

You may want to take a look at this: Why hasn't anyone been arrested?

It's the first Article I wrote for OpEdNews, appropriately published on Halloween (the Evening before Allhallows: All Saints Day, on November 1st).

Time to round up our Grimlins and Goblins and herd them off to Gitmo!

by Gene Messick (34 articles, 33 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 73 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 8:51:52 AM

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John Bessa

Hahahaha

This comment has been flagged
Reason: (Other) Other

"Guantanamo could be expanded to accommodate more. There could be a special wing for CEOs of Wall Street Banks"

You are FAR TOO KIND !!

How about capital punishment for the crimes of capital?

by John Bessa (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 94 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 11:15:08 AM

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Peter Duveen

I'm with Helen Thomas on this one

Guantanamo is a crime scene. It should not be mothballed, but preserved until all are brought to justice who committed crimes there. Closing it is like forgetting it and moving forward, which is not what Helen Thomas is suggesting. She is suggesting keeping it open and putting all the war criminals etc. there. The idea of closing Gitmo is a red herring, another distraction to the underlying issues.

by Peter Duveen (13 articles, 0 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 197 comments [30 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 11:19:11 AM

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Mark Sashine

It does seem that lawlesness

had infiltrated all the areas of our life. The proper and lawful way to deal with Gitmo is to initiate a criminal complaint on the abuse of detainees and also about t the inquisitional trials there. After which under law the prosecution ( federal) has to sequestre the premises as a crime scene( true), arrest or detain all the associated personnel and perform the investigation and trial of all involved including public review of all the cases of detainees with immediate release of those whose accusations would be dismissed. After that the apprpriate military and CIA people are to be put to trial and all the executive orders concerning the Gitmo should be pronounced criminal. After that it has to be closed. Gitmo is a US military base and it has to be that way. BTW, I would advise all the people here not to contemplate any revenge and bloodthirstiness but to promote the return of the rule of law and due process and that is what has to be done for the sake of all of us. Forget the CEOs and think about thyselves- we want it closed because of us, not them. It is all about us.

by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 12:39:45 PM

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Mr M

How about closing the whole damn base?

Guantanamo is nothing more than a symbol of an imperial nation. Not only should it be closed all the bases we have around the world should be closed.

It's just unconscionable that we have military bases in something like 120 countries and at the same time call yourselves a "land of the free." How would we feel if any other country decided to put a base on Ellis Island? Our Alcatraz? Who the hell are we to be the ones that we have our military spread all over the globe?

Other than that I'd be interested to know what is going to happen to those prisoners once Gitmo is closed. If they are brought on American soil all kinds of legal repercussions would arise. So, what do we do? If we send them to another country it just goes to show that we're too cowardly to face the repercussions. The hypocrisy here runs so deep as to be mind numbing.

Close Gitmo? Close them all!

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 2:12:14 PM

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Jane Schiff

"President Obama: Don't close Guantanamo"

Please DO CLOSE GUANTANAMO - AFTER the fulfillment of the following judicial fantasies near and dear to my heart:

1. Impeachment proceedings

2. Successful prosecution going all the way back to the first day of the G.W. Bush, Jr. Administration.

Three locations broadcast simultaneously - from Congress, the Hague and Guantanamo.

by Jane Schiff (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 74 diaries, 80 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 6:05:48 PM

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TomK

Don't need Gitmo

Gitmo was used to circumvent not only US laws but all laws. So it is of no use. Close it and give it back to Cuba. But what to do with the Bush gang?

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld - to The Hague directly for trial, then sentence for life term in Upper Northeast Siberia near Soviet nuclear test sites

Neocon hitmen and think tank garbage - permanent exile to Zimbabwe

Greenspan - must spend rest of life doing long-term economic research in North Korea, live among the people

Condi - to marry a politician of her choice in Iran but must learn Farsi fluently

Wall Street bankers - they go wherever Madoff goes, unless they choose the 'Ken Lay' option

SEC head Cox - must go to China to face high corruption, Chinese style

by TomK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 330 comments [22 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 9:07:04 PM

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Gene Messick

Reply: Sorry TomK, but I totally disagree

Hope you feel better getting all that angst out of your system!

Truth is, we've been exporting our problems to others around our Planet for far too long.

It's time we take responsibility, ourselves, for the problems we've let happen.

by Gene Messick (34 articles, 33 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 73 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 9:20:00 PM

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TomK

Reply: OK, Gitmo then

Sorry Gene, I got carried away a little.

Yes we must take responsibility for disposing our toxic wastes. The countries I mentioned will not accept such waste. After trials in the US, send them to Gitmo. As long as a nuclear waste incinerator is installed.

by TomK (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 330 comments [22 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 at 3:38:05 AM

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Jane Schiff

Reply: "Don't need Gitmo"

I recall a few Alfred Hitchcock episodes like that:-) However - I can't help but tweak just a little (you got me going) - Dubya gets two eternal punishments - 1st is that he himself has to learn Farsi and the 2nd is that he will be required to learn proper English . Alan Greenspan - how about he has to rake tons of leaves that perpetually fall from a money tree and pack them into bags with big gapping holes in the bottom? Condi - let's see - her assignment will be to swim and tread petroleum in a great big swimming pool with the name Exxon being continually broadcast at unpleasant decibels forever. I've got more but I think you probably would like me to stop at this point...

by Jane Schiff (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 74 diaries, 80 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2009 at 11:25:29 PM

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Bryan Emmel

Don't Close Guantanamo

I think we should normalize relations with the Cubans and give the whole base back to them with the condition that they run a prison there for our war criminals. We could let the Hague decide who they wanted to prosecute and when convicted, house them at Guantanamo.

Hmmm, I don't know though. The Cubans would probably be too nice to them.

by Bryan Emmel (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 415 comments [32 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 at 3:29:49 AM

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Gene Messick

About Guantanamo and Cuba

In all likelihood, relations with Cuba will improve, perhaps "normalize" under Obama. Gitmo is a remnant of the Spanish-American War, and of course played a role in President Kennedy's Cuban Missal Crisis. Beyond it's current use as a prison of last resort, it's played a role in American politics for over a century, including the as yet to be memorialized Cuban boat people. So much history available to display there.

A perpetual lease for this 45 square mile piece of Cuba around Guantanamo Bay was signed by Tomas Palma, an American citizen who became the first President of Cuba. The Republic of Cuba maintains ultimate sovereignty over the Guantanamo Naval Base, while granting the US "complete jurisdiction and control."

So we cannot give Cuba back what is Cuba's in the first place. All we might do is just pack up and leave. Or, on the other hand, we could normalize relations, close the base, and convert it into a National Park, like I originally said, which might also include a prison for those who we no longer want to remain in the US, because of all the horrors they brought to us.

Imagine part of the exhibit being a walking tour of the George W Bush Prison Camp, to peer at our unwanteds, like animals in a zoo. And since they would be there for the rest of their natural lives, they would be buried in Cuba, not on American soil, as part of an eternal punishment for the crimes they committed. My fantasies are a bit better than those of some of the Commenters above.

Many, many Americans have visited Cuba all along. I had a dentist once who was a spelunker, and in his spare time explored caves and mapped them, some for the Smithsonian, fascinated with large cavities, as well as small ones. More ironic, his name was Dr. Holler. He discovered new species of critters living in some caves. And he explored caves in Cuba, decades ago, but he first had to fly to a Latin American country, then buy his ticket to Cuba. Visiting Cuba has been a common occurrence all along.

One of the fascinating things that will occur when tourists can travel freely to Cuba will be to discover that so much of Cuba was frozen in time, ca 1958, when new construction essentially ended. It will become a great movie set for period movies.

Add to this Michael Moore's visit during the making of Sicko, taking with him a woman who was an aid provider for 9/11 victims. She, as so many who gave freely of their services, has contracted respiratory illnesses which our Insurance Industry will not cover. She almost wept when she discovered that under Cuba's "communist" health care system, the pills she was going broke paying for in the US, in Cuba she could buy at the equivalent of 5 cents each.

Guantanamo is more valuable to us as the home of the GwB Gitmo Hilton, a documentation of a part of our history we memorialize as a museum for future generations, so that it shall never happen again.

by Gene Messick (34 articles, 33 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 73 comments [3 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jan 15, 2009 at 11:34:02 AM

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