Having Lost All Credibility, the Scoundrels Use Patriotism as Their Last Refuge. But, this Domestic Abuse Must Stop.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and will be carrying a cross." Sinclair Lewis 1885-1951

Bush is telling the Iranians to let go of those captured British soldiers. Tony Blair is saying how appalled he is with the treatment they're getting--being paraded in front of the TV and being used as propaganda tools. OK, what the Iranians are doing is not so cool, I understand, but it pales in comparison to the treatment we've been putting the detainees through in GITMO and elsewhere. Where is the indignation and protests by the leaders of US and Britain when the ..other abuses became known?

Oh, but the ones we're holding are terrorists, some have argued. I'm sure a few are, and a few others are really, really bad persons. However, even by our own experts' estimate, the majority of the detainees have nothing to do with terrorism or fighting the US. Did you know this? Most have been swept by a very wide net, and have been ..sold to us! The US offered a few thousand dollars per terrorist captured, but many were falsely accused by others in their homeland because the latter wanted to make an easy buck or settle a score.

Now, what do you say about the scandal of the Abu Graib prison? The present US government has done terrible acts of violence and mistreatment to whomever BushCo has labeled as "enemy combatant." Terry Jones in the British Guardian makes some interesting comparisons about how civilized nations treat their prisoners. It's worth a reading; here it is.

There is a point that we have to question the patriotism of those who do harm to our country. It's not those who criticize the government who give "comfort to the enemy" but those who violate our democratic & human rights principles. I don't understand how the neocons and other authoritarians have managed to put so many Americans on the defensive when it comes to patriotism. It's the scoundrels who wave the biggest American flag and sing patriotic songs that are the non-patriots.


Take for example the military, and anything that has to do with defending our country, our people. The Republicans have been a disaster. They are not good for our national defense against foreign and domestic threats (yes, this includes natural disasters). They have made bad, very bad policy decisions. Their political ideology and arrogance have even made a bad war of choice an ever greater military failure. As for our armed forces, they've been broken and abused by the current administration and the Republican Congress of the last 12 years!

I don't know how many of the rank and file members of our armed forces support the Republican leadership, but those who do probably suffer from the same abused-spouse syndrome. What would it take to go beyond the "I love you" and the rhetoric, and face reality? The armed forces have been over-extended, had to suffer serious but unnecessary casualties. Who sent them into battle without proper armor? Who refused to send enough troops to occupy Iraq and establish a monopoly of force to prevent much of the violence that ensued? Who's responsible for extending tours of duty, including those of the Guard and the Reserve, while taking away veterans' benefits? And, who presided over the disgraceful treatment of our wounded soldiers? Or, is it OK, because it's only a domestic abuse problem?

Yes, it's time to take the country back from all those abusers.