Prosecution May Be A Slippery Slope

"Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends." ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

The reports that Obama has bowed to pressure from Liberals are true. He had promised America that he wouldn't seek prosecution against individuals responsible for what he perceives to be war crimes, that is, rather forceful, but effective interrogation techniques, meant to illicit vital information from enemy combatants that posses knowledge of potential future terrorist attacks on our country.

But now, he has recanted, due to pressure from outspoken America-hating, "blame America first" Liberals.

Now, he has suggested that his legal department may seek legal action against the Bush administration's legal department for certain memo's they wrote regarding the method by which interrogators received information that ultimately prevented many terrorist attacks on the American people and infrastructure. At least one of these prevented attacks (the flying of airplanes into a building in Los Angeles) would have been similar to the amount of death and destruction sustained in the infamous attacks of September 11, 2001.

For the record, I personally differ from my Conservative comrades on the subject of whether the practice known as "waterboarding" can be called "torture".

I understand the practice of waterboarding is part of the standard training of CIA and other covert operative trainees. I have heard (although I can't know for sure), that no one has ever withstood more than 2 minutes under this interrogation technique. Even hardened, battle tested veterans of the CIA have failed to last more than 2 minutes.

I am loathe to disagree with so many of my Conservative heroes, such as Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh etc, but in my humble opinion, any technique that will cause everyone, including all CIA operatives, trainees or experienced, to break in less than two minutes is definitely torture.

How can it not be?

That said, I have no qualms whatsoever in applying any technique, torture or not, to any enemy combatants and/or terrorists, if it will save human lives.

Flaming bamboo jammed underneath fingernails? Yep. Inserting glass rods into penises and then breaking them, resulting in excruciating pain the rest of their lives every time they urinate? You betcha! Hooking testicles up to battery leads? Go for it! Attaching a bag full of ravenous rats to the face? No problem!

Whatever it takes to save American lives. Damn the Geneva Convention. They want to play rough? I say, "oblige them".

But that is not my point. So, I digress.

Not that I care if Obama gets himself into trouble, but in my opinion, Barack Hussein Obama needs to be very, very careful in going this route. Prosecuting these attorneys on Bush's staff could well be the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

If he can successfully prosecute them, what's to stop him from then going after George W. Bush himself?

This is where I believe Obama would do himself a huge favor by not heading for this slippery slope.

(I feel safe giving him this free advice because I know this will never get back to him.)

I may be wrong, and if I am, any attorneys that read this will please correct me, but there is a little term called "Legal Precedence".

Unless I'm wrong, it is very hard to break new ground, jurisprudentially (is that even a word?) speaking, unless legal precedence can be established first.

Prosecuting a former President for war crimes, or even complicity in war crimes would be a devastatingly unprecedented groundbreaking legal maneuver. And, if Obama attempts it, and is, God forbid, successful, he would be establishing legal precedence, thereby making the prosecution of a former President much easier the next time.

Therefore, should Obama go that route, he could be putting his own future in serious jeopardy.

Obama is pretty brazen, as we have seen. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he tries it. He certainly has the required arrogance.

I almost hope he tries to prosecute Bush.

It would almost be worth it to see Obama frog marched out of the courthouse in chains.

Of course, in my opinion, he doesn't have to do anything that outrageous. He already deserves prosecution for trying to mount a quiet revolution contrary to the Constitution, in his overt attempt to change the United States of America into the United Socialist States of America.

There is also another little thing called "providing aid and comfort" to the enemies of The United States of America.

And, attempting a [violent] overthrow of the United States of America.

FYI: I finally published an introspective type piece on my other (religious) blog, "God's way/My way" today, in case anyone wants to peruse the religious side of Mark. The link is in my blogroll.