Christopher Hitchens Blames Torture on Common Americans

[cynatnite]

Continuing his discourse on torture policy, Hitchens then claimed that the Bush administration's commitment to harsh interrogation techniques, which he considers torture, derived from a desire among Americans for a more “ruthless” government. “It has to be admitted by every American that in the majority after the 9/11 Commission, people wanted an administration that was much more ruthless than the one they'd had on September the 10th,” he said.

“I know something for a sure thing,” Hitchens continued. “The demand for torture and other methods I would describe as illegal, the demand to go outside the Geneva conventions — all this came from below. What everyone wants to say is this came from a small clique around the vice-president. It's not educational. It doesn't enlighten anyone to behave as if that were true. This is our society wanting and demanding harsh measures.” Therefore, he went on, the demand for prosecution or other measures against Bush administration officials would likewise have to come from below, via the grassroots. “Otherwise it's just vengeful, I suppose, and partisan.”

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/01/christopher_hitche...

[dbonds]

1. He really should lay off the bottle

[SharonAnn]

2. At the very least, we supported it or accepted it.

[Warpy]

3. Speak for yourself

because I know I'm not alone in saying it disgusted me.

This is the first time I have ever been ashamed of this country, and I have been deeply ashamed for the last 7 years of Bush/right wing viciousness and lawlessness.

I hope the UN gets it together and goes after these bastards since our Congress doesn't have the guts.

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. I did neither and let's not forget that the bu$h malAdministration didn't give a flying fuck what we

thought, EVER! Nice try, though.

[Rage for Order]

4. But I thought it was due to the TV show "24"?

[tuckessee]

15. The popularity of "24" is a reflection of what Mr. Hitchens is talking about. n/t

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. I like a lot that Hitchens writes,

but when he gets it wrong, he gets it so fucking wrong as to be simply insane.

This is one of those times.

[marchellojones]

6. Its easy

to pass the buck and blame the American people but thats why there is a President,a leader,who gets all the info that ordinary people don´t get. He sees the big picture and is able to look forvard and make desisions according to that. So in that light why are the American people now demanding torture to be stopped!

[Redstone]

7. He's a fucking self-important drunken twot of a blowhard. Who gives a fuck what he thinks?

Redstone

[madrchsod]

8. mommy !... chrissie is throwing his poo again !

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

9. Just because I like getting hooked up to a car battery in the bedroom

does not mean I endorse it as national policy. Governments and bedrooms don't mix!

Wait... what were we talking about?

[doc03]

10. I am not trying to excuse the Administration

but there is a lot of truth in what he said. After September 11 people wanted revenge, that's how people were easily led into the war in Iraq.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. Some people were easily lead. A whole lot more were not!

I didn't want revenge. And certainly I didn't want revenge at the cost of innocent people, both in Iraq and Afghanistan!

[alfredo]

12. I'm as common as they come and I was, and still am, against torture.

[Lorax]

13. Not this American!

No way, no how. Since they were wiretapping everything, they would already know that. What an ass-hat.

[McCamy Taylor]

16. I blame torture on Christopher Hitchens and his shameless suck up to the NeoCons.

This is a man who is offended by a blow job (because he can't get one, presumably) but he likes the idea of invading another country for its oil. Rule Britannia!

[EFerrari]

17. Go project your self destructive bullsh!t somewhere else, Chris.