Reply #537: We need the whole truth in order to make our decisions about

[JDPriestly]

who to vote for. This is supposed to be a representative democracy. At this point, our representatives mostly represent big business and the military, not those of us who vote for them.

Yes, we do have the right to see everything. These photos have nothing to do with foreign policy secrets or even military secrets since the events they depict took place years ago, supposedly. We are not negotiating with foreign powers about these photos. Our troops are supposedly not torturing anyone, nor is the CIA or any other American permitted to torture anyone.

We need to release the photos and bring criminal charges against the torturers, and we need to do it now. The best way to safeguard our troops is to prosecute all torturers, whether in our government or in foreign countries. Torture cannot be tolerated. It must be prosecuted everywhere in the world where it occurs. We need to make that clear. How can we expect Pakistan or Afghanistan or the Sudan to prosecute torturers if we refuse to do it? Letting torturers know that they will be prosecuted if they torture is the only way that we can rid the world of torture.

Torture is the tool of dictators. Only dictators and thugs torture. So much for Bush and Cheney -- torturers, that's what they are.