Locobot

Those of us who knew that our government was lying to us about its motivations behind invading Iraq long before that war even started tend to hold out hope that there was some glimmer of altruism in our actions. At least I did. S. Hussein was nasty dictator who deserved to be deposed for his use of chemical weapons and a legal system light on justice, heavy on torture.

If we truly intend on replacing Hussein with another regieme which makes torture and rape a regular part of the legal system then we are guilty of crimes against humanity. If we hope to hold any type of moral high ground over Hussein (something actually required if we intend to put him on trial) then we need to investigate these incidents and prosecute those responsible. It turns out that some of our highest officials gave consent in some of these cases, they are therefore complicit.

We Americans like to look down our noses with condescension at at Saddam's "rape rooms" but rape and torture has been an unofficial part of our legal system for decades. It makes us smile to think of child molesters and rapists being beaten and raped in American prisons, as they universally are. American prisons often dole out de facto death sentences through calculated negligence of the guards. Jeffery Dahmer and Father John Geoghan may have deserved what happened to them, who's to say. Unfortunately every non-violent and inconsequential criminal in our prisons receives virtually the same treatment.

We know this as Americans and condone it through our elections. "Fair treatment of criminals" will not get you elected. In fact it is a good way to lose an election in the U.S.

We also know that those directly responsible for abuses at Abu Ghraib worked in their civilian life as prison guards...