Conservatives Justify Torture As 'Blowing Off Steam'

[RBHam]

May 7, 2004

Rush Limbaugh, the voice of conservatives across America, claimed the torture at Abu Ghraib was "about people having a good time" and that the perpetrators just needed to "blow some steam off." Displaying his trenchant understanding of geopolitics, Limbaugh later claimed, "Maybe the people who executed this pulled off a brilliant maneuver." Weekly Standard editor Jonathan Last also downplayed the allegations claiming, "Worse things happen in frat houses across America." Syndicated columnist and Fox News host Cal Thomas stated, "If there has been humiliation, it isn't the fault of the West. It is Muslims' fault."

Leading conservatives are trying to whitewash the torture allegations. White House spokesman Scott McClellan told an off-camera gathering of reporters yesterday that Limbaugh's comments were "wrong, unacceptable and inexcusable." However, during yesterday's official press briefing, he refused to repeat his earlier repudiation of Limbaugh when asked directly by a reporter. Clearly, the White House wants to have it both ways on the issue – pander to the conservative base by not publicly rebuking Limbaugh while appearing contrite to the Arab world.

The unwillingness of conservative leaders to take the issue seriously undermines our efforts to win hearts and minds in Iraq. Attitudes like Limbaugh's are part and parcel of conservatives' failure to effectively win the peace in Iraq and convince the Middle East that America's intentions are sincere and honorable. President Bush's half-baked contrition on Arab television, and his forced apology yesterday, did little to assuage doubts about the lack of genuine concern from the highest levels of the U.S. government.

President Bush must take real and immediate steps to help restore America's image across the globe. First, the president should demand the resignation of Secretary Rumsfeld – the leader most directly accountable for the prison failures. Second, he should convene an immediate independent investigation of all alleged abuses in the Iraqi prison system. And third, he should create a Permanent Committee for Monitoring Prison Conditions to formally oversee the prison system in Iraq and should establish a citizen's liaison in Iraq to compile and keep a centralized database of all detainees in Iraqi prisons.


http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=68054

[girl gone mad]

1. So I guess now we know..

how conservatives "blow off steam". When they aren't abusing hillbilly heroine, they like to abuse grown men and boys.

[MilDem]

2. Limbaugh's comments were the worst

El Rushbo's comments turned my stomach (and I have a pretty good tolerance for listening to conservative windbags.) To try and play down a total breakdown of military discipline and a major international incident as frat-house pranks is sickening. Those soldiers put every US Soldier in theater in far greater danger than they were before.
"Blowing off steam" by completely ignoring military rules and regulations shows how little those soldiers deserve to be called that. They know their Army Values, and nowhere do they condone relieving pressure through torture.

[the Kelly Gang]

3. "blowing off"..Freudian slip ?..Rush sounds a little too excited by this

..I think he might have wanted to be on the end of Lynddie's leash

"Worse things happen in frat houses across America."..what ?..young boys raped and naked young girls beaten..maybe we should be investigating Frat Houses as well if they think that's all harmless fun.

[ShaneGR]

4. So I don't have to bring out the rope???

It appears they'll just hang themseleves. Brilliant!

[Hubert Flottz]

5. Family Values 101!

What do you expect? There IS No Honor Among Thieves!

[doni_georgia]

6. we need to write letters to stations that carry Rush

The Atlanta station that carries rush Limbaugh is a Clear Channel station. They fired Howard Stern for being offensive. They have refused to play long lists of songs and certain artists, because they feel the songs and/or artists could harm American war morale. Well, what about Mr. Limbaugh's remarks? Were they not offensive? Did they not directly go against the words spoken by the administration in apology for these "disgusting" acts?

Write your local stations that syndicate Limbaugh. Write your local papers. This story needs to make the mainstream media. I googled "Rush Limbaugh, Iraqi torture" under a news search and only found three mainstream papers carrying the story (Niagra Falls Reporter, the Oregonian, and ther Sydney Morning Herald - mainstream but in Australia). The vast majority of people who support Bush like Rush Limbaugh, but do not listen to him regularly because they are at work when he is on the air. These are the people who need to hear what he said, and need to see that the Bush* Whitehouse hasn't done one thing to correct him.

[snippy]

7. Oxydittos to Rush for coming up with "republican torture pranks."

I have already found this phrase to be useful.

[terrya]

8. I'm going to watch "The Capital Gang" tonight. I want to hear Novakula...

defend all of this.

[doni_georgia]

9. What's really at issue: Conservatives do not believe in the validty of

International law. They do not believe that international law should apply to America. It's okay for it to apply to other nations, but not to us. Hence the contempt these same conservatives have for the United Nations. To them, we are above International law. We are a law unto ourselves. International law should only be applied when it concerns other countries (primarily those countries outside of western culture). Think about it. This is the crux of the matter.

[agincourt]

10. If they got out.....

the Zylon B and the gas chambers, "conservatives" would still be either making excuses or trying to distort blame for this type of thing. It's getting more and more obvious each day that we need to get "conservatives" flushed from our political system or we'll be as less regarded in the world than are Milosovic's Serbs.

[opihimoimoi]

11. Just wait till those resistence guys capture our troops. "We gonna

blow off some steam, its our turn...." Hope its not women they capture.

and guess what:?: we won't be able to say shit because of RUSH. BTW, the DOD plays his radio program exclusively over there, Brainwashing for Bush, BFB.

Its gonna get more ugly, and Rush is partially to BLAME. HATE is not a good thing, period.

that Mullah guy Sadr, sez any woman captured will be used as a sex slave. I believe him.

[bread_and_roses]

12. "undermines our efforts to win hearts

and minds?" Sure. We have been busily blowing infants to bits to "win hearts and minds" too. Some strategy, that. Undermines our efforts to control Iraqi oil more like it. I loathe the apologists for this evil regime almost more than I hate the regime itself.