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Ear to the Ground

The Hypothetical Question Bush Can’t Answer

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Posted on Sep 15, 2006

During the president’s Rose Garden press conference, NBC reporter David Gregory asked Bush how he would feel if a country like Iran or North Korea kidnapped an American citizen, tortured him and then tried him without letting him see any evidence. Bush’s answer was a nonsensical non sequitur.


Salon:

At a Rose Garden press conference this morning, NBC’s David Gregory asked George W. Bush the obvious hypothetical question: How would he feel if a foreign government like, say, North Korea’s or Iran’s, captured a U.S. soldier or CIA officer, subjected him to torture, then tried and convicted him with evidence he wasn’t allowed to see?

Bush didn’t—Bush couldn’t—answer the question.

“My reaction is that, if the nations such as those you named adopted the standards within the [White House’s] Detainee Detention Act, the world would be better,” he said.

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By Army Captain, April 16, 2007 at 8:35 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

If you look at what constitutes as “torture”, maybe many should research how the Viet Cong tortured American Soldiers for the sake of gathering information. Anything that happens in Gitmo you can rest assured does not involve electro-shock or bamboo chutes. If you had read any articles on the methods used to extract information from a detainee, you would be surprised how “extreme” American interrogators are not.

As of the Iraq war, we can quibble about the past all we want, the fact is we are here and the decision needs to be made what happens next. To up and leave Iraq would be irresponsible to the Soldiers who fell to free Iraq and the Iraqi people we would leave behind in the wake. Regardless of what promises are made from either side, nothing is going to happen at the snap of a finger.

And as for the president’s IQ, he has a law degree from Yale. Unless you have a PhD in bio-nuclear physics degree from MIT, I would be hard pressed to question a graduate from the (one) of the most prestigious law schools in our country. And unless we had to bear the burden of running the most powerful country on the planet, maybe then we would understand why the president counts on the other two branches of government to help him make hard decision, like entering Iraq.

Of course, it is great to live in a country where you can criticize your president without the punishment of death, just ask the hundreds of thousands of Kurds that perished under Saddam’s rule, or the thousands of “missing” North Korean citizens.

Regardless of how inefficient one man may seem, there are so many other pieces that make up the ruling class of our society. It may not be fair or even sensible at times, but it is the best we’ve got.

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By dreamyeyedgrrl, March 9, 2007 at 2:14 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

All we need is a good assassin.

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By Floyd Anderson, September 17, 2006 at 11:34 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Am I the only one who has noticed the total silence of Congressional Democrats on this matter? Does their failure to respond to Bush indicate their agreement with him? They want to win elections and fear that any comment on anything controversial might cost them votes. In behaving in such a way they are actually his enablers.

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By kevin99999, September 16, 2006 at 12:45 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

This notion that each country could have its own interpretation of any international law is obviously ludicrous. Hence, its Bush administration’s appraoch that is illogical and unacceptable.

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By John F. Butterfield, September 16, 2006 at 10:51 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

In the event that a terrorist plot to murder me is uncovered and a terroist is captured who has information that can be used to prevent my murder, I request that the terrorist be treated with dignity and respect. Don’t torture or murder someone in my name.

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By Jon, September 16, 2006 at 12:54 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

We need a new constition which stipulates that all presidential candidates must pass a battery of IQ tests and the final score must exceed 120.

Do you see the mess we are in now?

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By TruthPlease, September 15, 2006 at 9:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s been a long time coming because the average American wants to believe the best of their leaders - but finally more people believe GW is lying and evading the hard questions with BS - trouble is, with Diebold and other election frauds and “lost” ballots, will it matter?  I sure hope we can turn it around. It can’t happen soon enough for me.

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By Spinoza, September 15, 2006 at 5:59 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

We hate him but more important we have to get rid of him.

Go to the worldcantwait.com web site.

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By Joe R., September 15, 2006 at 5:28 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

President Bush should be tried as a war criminal.  He should be impeached.  This country did not have any trouble putting mass murderers in the electric chair before Bush came on the scene.  His torture policy is a huge disaster for the country.  We do not need to become like the terrorist to defeat the terrorist.  Let’s unload this fool before we stumble into WWIII.  Put pressure on your elected officials.

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By GW=MCHammered, September 15, 2006 at 5:12 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Mister President, when:

the republic kills
torture trumps law
declared freedoms wither
good jobs keep vanishing
the middle class declines
disaster victims unendingly suffer

it’s much more than just “a difference of opinion.” You were given the power to unite yet you chose to divide; the ability to build but instead destroyed; the potential for finesse rather than fanaticism. Your chokehold Americanism does not become the presidency.

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By jesuso marx, September 15, 2006 at 3:43 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

okay, bush. your hosting black mass on us is almost over. like solitary confinement ? beg as you will, we will not torture you. nor can you suck my delicious dick. just sit there in stir, to be entertained only by your own dull mind.
WE HATE YOU

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