I’ve just Read Clammyc’s diary, This is Not Torture. First, let me say I was disgusted by what I read there. Even though I have read many similar stories before about the torture that was condoned and authorized in our names, to protect our freedoms, such descriptions never fail to make me physically ill. Beyond the sheer immorality of these acts, and their illegality under American and international law, we know that there was simply no justifiable reason for these “activities” — no ticking time bomb, no great or imminent terrorist threats that were exposed. It’s mostly been practiced on people with little or no connection to Al Qaeda.
So, what do we do? The media won’t cover this issue. Congress won’t hold impeachment hearings. McCain will likely continue the same pattern of deceit regarding the abuses at Gitmo, and at American bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and other “detention facilities” if he is elected President. He certainly won’t make it a priority to investigate the crimes of the Bush administration since he believes we are legitimately fighting the terrorists in Iraq, and he would like to fight the terrorists in Iran, too, for that matter. As for our Democratic candidates it likely won’t be a priority for them, either, unless we can raise public consciousness of the issue.
But how do we do that, Steven D (you rightly ask)? Everyone in the progressive/liberal blogosphere is already talking up a storm about these abuses (for all the good that will do). And I believe that no matter how well written, or how full of righteous anger and purpose we decry the Bush administration’s use of torture, we are unlikely to influence the public discussion about this issue unless the discussion moves onto our tee-vee screens.
And since we know the big media won’t broadcast any stories regarding torture by Americans, for fear of “bad ratings” or fear of offending the Bush administration or because they are owned by conservative nutjobs who get the kicks out of imagining brown people who talk funny being kicked and beaten and drowned, how is that ever likely to happen?
Well, the only way we ever get anything on tee-vee these days — we pay for it. In short we need to create a 527 or 501(c) organization which will produce and run tee-vee ads showing the people who were tortured, or their torturers, describing in graphic detail what was done, showing pictures of that torture (we can start with Abu Ghraib photos), and using celebrity voiceovers (I think this would be a good use of George Clooney’s talents, but I’m sure there are others who are equally qualified) to provide the narrative structure for these ads. Some appropriately somber music in the background would be nice also. I like Berber’s Adagio for Strings myself.
So, Moveon.org, Mr. George Soros and/or other wealthy liberal bigwigs, put your money where your outrage is located, please. Because once one of these organizations is created I guarantee the same people who are donating online to the Obama and Clinton campaigns, as well as many other decent Americans who abhor the very thought of torture being carried out in our name, will add our donations to whatever you contribute as seed money. I suggest that to get the ball rolling we all email Moveon.org (especially those of us who our members) and recommend they get the ball rolling? Here’s the link to their contact page.
And if anyone knows how to reach George Clooney or your favorite celebrity, feel free to post that information as well.
Ps. I no longer have access to Daily Kos so if anyone who still does would like to reprint this diary in it’s entirety over there (or anywhere else on the net) feel free.
Interestingly, in last night’s CNN ‘Compassion’ segment I heard one of the audience ministers pose the torture question to Obama.
It hit me that the silence from the Evangelical as well as Christian leaders at large on the presence of torture has become deafening in this country.
So I would suggest the churches need to step up to the plate on the matter of torture directed from within the walls of the WH. So far their non actions are disgustingly complicit.
Agreed.
to pass it off on someone else. I am just as guiltybut already two people here have said write to moveon or the churches should do it. Whay not atart it right here or DK?
Feel free to post this at DK. I cannot connect to their site anymore.
The work behind putting together either type of organization is pretty hefty. The first three tasks to accomplish are writing by-laws, choosing officers, and choosing a board.
What can I do?
The real issue is getting the money. Creating one of these organizations is easy. Finding the money and the production talent to create the ads is the hard part.
Email Moveon. Email your friends and ask them to email Moveon. Know any big time celebrities with a liberal streak? Email them too.
Repost this diary on your own blog or link to it.
Or post links to it in the comment sections of other blogs.
If you have any other ideas let me know.
Did you get banned, self-ban, or lose your password?
I simply cannot access the site. When I click on it all I get is a screen that says “It Works!” I’ve talked to my internet provider and they have no idea why this one site is unavailable to me. They claim they aren’t blocking the site.
very odd.
I had the same experience off and on all winter. When I switched to wireless problem solved.
Weird… have you tried running a anti-spyware/adware program lately? I haven’t heard of one that has that kind of function, but you never know… it could even target frequent URLs randomly (as opposed to being designed to block particular sites).
Do you get the same result on different browsers?
Wish I was more of a techie, but that just sounds odd — clearly something is blocking it somewhere.
I run a full system check w/Norton each week and have spyware on the PC as well. Weird stuff, but the little laptop does just fine getting in. The PC now is kind of hit and miss, but I get the same message as StevenD.
Y’all might want to try downloading [AVG’s free software|] – I trust it more than Norton. Also, have you tried different browsers, and deleting your your cache? When did it stop working?
Oh, also – if on a pc:
-Select “Run…” from the start menu
-type “cmd”
-type “ping dailykos.com”
If you get nada, then it’s definitely your network. 🙁
thanks I’ll give it a try. I live in such a remote location and have a satellite connection that I had just assumed it was a glitch/personal problem with my NSA minder. Who knew!
I can’t imagine dKos would have a legitimate reason to ban you. On the other hand, if your employer has blocked your access to dKos, there’s always the public library.
This is from my home computer. I am disabled, thus unemployed.
Whew! For a minute, I was worried that Hunter may have retrenched to his “banning suspected friends of shergald on sight” policy just because your AIPAC diary made the rec list. (did you catch the recent hullabaloo about Kagro X being invited on a free tour of Israel for left-wing bloggers? Apparently, the Israeli Foreign Ministry is under the impression that just because Daily Kos has not banned every single lowly diarist who has ever criticized Israel, that Daily Kos is “unwaveringly critical of Israeli policies.”)
On the other hand, if your computer has a virus or something, I hope the antidote isn’t too costly.
Steven, Just want to let you know I want to take you up on your offer and FP this over at Docudharma. If you’d like to post it there I will promote it, Or I can repost under my ‘by-line.’ Let me know. If I don’t hear back from you here or by mail thadiuskl2@gmail.com I will post it in a hour or so.
Go right ahead. I can’t post there because my computer won’t allow me access to the site.
That is you are welcome to post it there, just to make myself clear.
Thanks, will do
It’s up now. Just thought I would let you know since you can’t see it. Thanks again.
Why don’t you have access at DK?
Oops – should have read the thread above first. Ignore!
Not to be a wet blanket…. but my concern with this kind of thing would be, even if there was a nonprofit group or something that DID have the money and an ad ready to air, would the networks (broadcast or cable) even air it?
I’m remembering the UCC’s ad promoting their open door policy from a year or two ago, that was not even particularly radical, but the networks refused to air it, claiming it was “too controversial.”
But even a good video ad or mini-documentary posted on the internet would reach more people. This needs to get out. People need to see it, be horrified, and shamed, and enraged, over what is being done in all our names.
There’s a reason the Nuremburg trials were so public… the German people needed to be shown what had been done in their names. Justice had to be public, so everyone could see the evidence, and understand the truth, and buy into the judgment. And as a result of the public nature of those proceedings, the Nazi regime and all it stood for has been made utterly anathema in the consciousness of pretty much the entire world.
I’m sure it was painful for the German people to accept. No one wants to believe that their own nation, one in which they have invested so much pride, effort and identified with so strongly is a brutal, criminal regime.
It would be devastating for a lot of Americans too. Those who truly, sincerely believe that American IS all the things they learned in grade school — the best, bravest, most beautiful and upright and righteous (and the most powerful and free) nation in the world, who doesn’t start wars, doesn’t DO things like that, and always wins, because we are always RIGHT. I think a lot of people here still cling to that image, and they truly don’t want to be told differently… they want to believe FOX News or Rush Limbaugh, that it’s easier to swallow that all Democrats are spineless wimps who hate America than that America can do, and has been doing, all these horrible, brutal, despicable things.
But we need to be devastated that way. It’s the only way to stop it from happening again… and again… and again. It would be a painful catharsis, but it would in the long run, make this country stronger in its ideals, and closer to that more perfect union, the America we all learned about in grade school.
But better that catharsis, emotional and soul-shattering devastation — than ten or twenty years from now, an even worse devastation when the rest of the world decides that we’re the rogue nation that threatens their peace, and does something about it.
It’s probably more likely to be seen by a wider audience if the message could be broken down into snarky 30-second bites on you tube.
1 step you can take i signing the letter from the ACLU and demand a call for an Independent Counsel to investigate the Administration’s approval of Torture and Abuse. for starters.
[h/t c&l]
write LTE’s to your local paper, get involved in anyway you can…and keep up the pressure. eventually, something will take hold, but the key is to put out as much information as possible. the msm isn’t going to do it, and we all know where congress
standssits.Done
I’ve already signed this also..at least it’s a place to start.