Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Iran Captives

As I was listening to the news about the impending release of the British captives in Iran I then heard a "retired military consultant" deriding their training and their courage. I was only using the news for background noise more than anything and didn't get a chance to hear which asshat it was, but, dude, get fucking real. You have no idea what went on. You have no idea what the situation really was. Both the British and the Iranians are proven fucking liars with no vested interest in the truth of anything getting out. Throw in a hefty dose of American self interest and the truth is the last thing we will ever know about this.

Here's the thing that I fear. One day the captives will be Americans. They will be publicly tortured. It will be filmed and shown on TV's around the world. Nothing that is being done to them will be beyond what has already been done, with official sanction by orders of our military and intelligence services.

We will not be able to protest. We will not have any basis for outrage. In the words of Aeschulys:

So, in the Libyan fable it is told:
That once, an eagle stricken with a dart. Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft; "With our own feathers, not by others' hands, Are we now smitten."


3B's

8 Comments:

Blogger Melissa McEwan said...

We will not be able to protest.

That's truly the saddest part of all this. We've ceded the moral highground and beyond. We stand in a valley alone.

10:33 AM  
Blogger BadTux said...

There will be no moral basis to protest, but protest we shall. Because it is only a crime when done to fine American ubermenschen. If done to unseemly brown untermenschen... meh.

- Badtux the Cynical Penguin

2:31 PM  
Blogger The Minstrel Boy said...

it will take generations of atonement if it is even possible to repair the damage that was done to our reputation internationally, to say nothing of the damage done to our very souls. even my cynicism isn't able to defend my despair that well anymore.

8:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here's the thing that I fear. One day the captives will be Americans. They will be publicly tortured. It will be filmed and shown on TV's around the world. Nothing that is being done to them will be beyond what has already been done, with official sanction by orders of our military and intelligence services.

Yep.....

At the point I fear we can kiss goodbye to the America as anything remotely like what the founding fathers intended.

- oddjob

10:49 PM  
Blogger pissed off patricia said...

There was a ret general on Imus this morning pissing on about the sailors should have only given name, rank and number. He said they should be put in military jail when they return to their home base.

If we had captured 15 Iranians off our shore they would be in Getmo now.

Yep, we have become that which we have always feared. Thanks george bush.

The little penguin above nailed it.

5:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think that was Col Jack Jacobs (on IMUS)who holds the Medal of Honor. I think he is wrong in his assessment of the situation. The UK is not at war with Iran. The name rank serial number as I understand it applies only in a time of war. These people were arrested and not prisoners of war. The Brits may have a different take on situation than that of Col Jacobs. Apparently Col Jacobs would want to start a shooting war over something like this. Stupid.

yo soy Horsedooty!

7:13 AM  
Blogger Pogo said...

As 'dooty noted, that Asshat Popis referring to - and probably the one you heard, is Col. Jack Jacobs - post US Army, now Wall Street tycoon. Let me just echo 'dooty's sentiments. To paraphrase my signature line, we have become what we fear the most.

7:32 AM  
Blogger The Minstrel Boy said...

it was zenophon who said that he didn't want the great heroes of greek legend beside him in the phalanx. their individualism and thirst for personal glory got people killed needlessly. because they haven't a concept of fear they do things that are reckless. what zenophon wanted beside him in the line were men that knew fear, but also knew that there are things that matter more than that fear.

8:01 AM  

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