More on Torture

An article on CNN.com today (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/14/congress.tribunals/index.html) talks about the split between Congress and the white house over the white houses proposed reinterpretation of article III. The major issues they are at odds over are two fold. First, Congress' bill says that a suspect of a terror tribunal should allowed to view evidence used against them. This seems like simple due process of law. These people are in custody and aren't going to be communicating any classified information to anyone. Letting them know what's being used against them only allows them to have a legal defense and prevent this from being a kangaroo court. I like Congress' thoughts on this.
The second part is the portions about Article III and the administrations attempts to onve again re-interpret the Geneva Convention. No surprise I support Congress' views that this is unacceptable. As I tried to iterate to my friend Black Cross in an earlier post. The Genevea Conventions DO apply to terror suspects, per the Supreme Court, and now Congress is agreeing. But more important is the reason they apply. The reason is that it is the behaviour that we as a nation agreed to behave by. It really doesn't matter from a philisophical point of view WHO we are treating that way. We've agreed to treat our prisoners humanely, to do otherwise would stain the honour that we as Americans are supposed to hold. It would be a insult to all the people who support and believe in what makes this country truly great.
I am greatly pleased to see the authoritarian regime of president Bush meeting resistance from his own party. We need this form of internal conflict to make our system of government work. Both inter and intra party. For one small group of people to hold all the power is a an ouligarchy, not a republic. I'm not optimistic, we've got a long way to go... but I AM pleased.