The Guantánamo / Abu Ghraib Legacy

Mexican human-rights advocate, commenting on just-surfaced videos that show local cops receiving torture training:

"In the past, torture was usually hidden. Now they don't even bother."

Well, why would Mexican officers be ashamed of torturing suspects? Why wouldn't they take instruction from American torture teachers?

Everybody, including the world's oldest democracy up north, is doing it, right?

Comments

[Bob UK]

What I really dont understand is why the International community is standing by and watching americans illegally torture people.

Does the EU have nothing to say about this ?
Do our elected Leaders have nothing to say about this?

[McDuff]

What the hell is "the international community"? It's one of those meaningless phrases that gets trotted out so that people can say "someone should do something!" and not have it mean them.

What do you think Brown is going to be able to do? What could the EU do? What can the EU do? Even notwithstanding the fact that all the elites in our supposedly liberal economies are up to their nuts in this brave new world, there's nothing they can do or say that would make the evil clown car running the white house at the moment listen to anything they have to say.

We're seeing an apotheosis of a movement in American Imperial politics that's been here since to the Nixonian revolution that kicked the whole thing off, and that revolution only recrystalised existing tendencies. The downturn we hope for won't be caused because the damp blankets in our own shabby governments asked the USA to please stop being so big and mean.

[Mars]

Hey, don't blame the Americans. What with that lovely thing called the Patriot Act, we can barely do anything about it ourselves. Not to mention that we Americans are afflicted with a terrible case of apathy. Don't even get me started on wire-tapping or the elephant called "Climate Change" in the metaphorical living room.
Why isn't anyone standing up for anything anymore? Why is everyone content with just standing back and looking the other way? Why is everyone so apathetic?! (Emphasis on the "pathetic" in "apathetic")

And yes, McDuff, there isn't really anything the EU can do. If our illustrious leader (who, as we know, is "The Decider") can ignore the UN (and most of the world) on something as big as a *war*, then he's not going to listen to anyone on something as small as a few prisoners. You see, this is why I supported John Edwards. He wanted to close down Gitmo and pull us out of this nightmare called an "occupation" (because, you see, we already won the war - Mission Accomplished and all that).

[Bob UK]

Fair enough on the 'International Community' bit McDuff; It was merely my short hand to use a politically correct phrase to mean other World Leaders condemning an Illegal action. We are making a great deal of noise about Zimbabwe at the moment and so we should. But the hypocrisy of our silence on america ( not americans in general :p ) is disgusting too.
I email. I talk to my local politician. I waffle to you guys here. but its Mr Brown who should be saying some damn thing.
We have to be realistic, we cant sanction US or anything, but we sure can condemn such actions.