John Oliver & Helen Mirren destroy Americans’ fairy-tale belief in torture

[kpete]

Noting that the Senate Intelligence Committee released a 6,700-page investigation of torture, with a 500-page version available to the public, Oliver sought to explain that Americans need to read the available version because they have been “dangerously misinformed” about torture.

Best Ever Oliver!!!!!!!!!!


With Mirren reading from the report about “rectal rehydration” — in the case of one detainee who was force fed a meal of hummus, pasta, nuts, and raisins pureed and introduced rectally — an aghast Oliver challenged his viewers to “try not to think about that the next time you eat hummus.”

“I feel like I should preemptively apologize to the Sabra hummus brand, because your sales are about to drop quite noticeably,” he said.

Attempting to lighten the mood after reporting on one innocent detainee who died of hypothermia after being beaten and chained to a wall, Oliver had Mirren read from “The Tales of Peter Rabbit” … only for the story to take a horrible turn.

“But while Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-Tail were on their way to pick blackberries, Peter was chained to a wall in Farmer McGregor’s basement. He’d been badly beaten, and a tray of carrots and raisins had been pureed and rectally infused,” she read to a horrified Oliver.

“Helen Mirren, I’m going to say what everyone has said about you for years: You’re a monster,” the host said.


More:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/john-oliver-and-helen-mirren-destroy-americans-fairy-tale-belief-in-torture-with-horrifying-childrens-tales/

[napkinz]

1. he'd do it again

[countryjake]

2. + a million

[gratuitous]

3. Dammit, how many times do you have to be told?

We. Are. Looking. Forward. To. The. Future. NOT backwards to the past. What is this preoccupation with crimes against humanity? What's done is done. Vice President Cheney has told us the results speak for themselves. Just drop it. Nothing good (i.e. defense contracts) is going to come of this unhealthy obsession you people have with a bunch of quaint old documents.

[Enthusiast]

9. He's not only a war criminal. He's a traitor. n/t

[Beacool]

10. To think that two good hearts were wasted on this evil man.........

[Baitball Blogger]

4. That was the best John Oliver ever.

Thank you!

[Oilwellian]

5. That was excellent

He must have recently convinced Mirren to read the part about the bunny's rectal rehydration. That was brilliant and helps keep the issue current. Oliver is superb. I was hoping he would take Jon Stewart's place.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. She's been a campaigner against torture for decades:

HELEN MIRREN British Actress Pictured outside the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, where she headed a protest alongside members of Amnesty International against the manufacture of electric shock weapons, and in particular three British companies who are making them without proper licences. COMPULSORY CREDIT: Starstock/Photoshot Photo URM 012777/A-16 04.03.1997



http://www.diomedia.com/stock-photo-helen-mirren-british-actress-pictured-outside-the-office-of-the-director-of-public-prosecutions-where-she-headed-a-protest-alongside-members-of-amnesty-international-against-the-manufacture-of--image17559507.html

[longship]

6. Wonderfully great! Here's another.

Any political commentary which includes, as its climax, Steve Buscemi tap dancing has to be great.

This time, Oliver takes on Dr. Oz and the utter bullshit of dietary supplements:

It's worth it alone for Buscemi tap dancing at the end. But it imparts a whole lot of science-based medicine in the meantime, something maybe only Oliver can impart with so much humor.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

7. Torture is unreliable

There is one situation where torture will work quite reliably: When the torturer wants the victim to say a specific thing. My favorite example of that is Henry VIII's desire to support his trumped-up charge of adultery by Ann Boleyn. Four or five men, including Ann's brother, were tortured to get them to say that they had sexual relations with Ann. It worked very well as a means of getting perjured testimony. That's using an immoral act in order to procure an immoral end. Moreover, I do not see any moral or legal system in which suborning perjury is acceptable.

[Solly Mack]

8. Sadly, that is how America treats its own crimes against humanity...

like a children's story that didn't really happen, but even if it did, wasn't all that bad, and gosh darnit, we've learned from it and will do better next time! We promise!

And to show how serious America is all the guilty will be free from prosecution!

[johnnyreb]

11. Heroic job, John Oliver!

Thank you so very much.