Torture in the US Media

Ever since I saw '24', I've seen a rash of TV shows from the US portraying graphic torture scenes with hardly any moral examination. The torturer is often portrayed as a dutiful man doing what needs to be done, and I am expected to draw some vicarious enjoyment, mixed with my natural horror for what is going on.

Torture has to be rejected, as not only does it breach basic human rights, including those protecting against 'cruel and unusual punishments', but is also counter-productive. Information gained could well be wrong (something the TV shows shy away from) and the tortured is sure to be an implacable enemy, in the political field if not becoming a terrorist/torturer himself.

To be fair to the shows, my window into the American psyche, they generally have an awareness that it is wrong. But by consistently portraying it as effective, they are essentially attempting to legitimise it. Morally speaking, how is that essentially different from TV programs in the Islamic world, trying to justify suicide bombers by calling them martyrs?

If it's said that the torturers are trying to save lives, well then the counterproductive potential of it should be noted. No doubt it's use can be related to the growth of  'insurgencies' being faced, but this recieves little press. Let us remember that the so-called 'protectors' in the CIA et all, helped and armed the followers of a younger Bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein- forces that the regular US forces later confronted. Their excuse of a near-incompetent 'not knowing what would happen' have to be taken with a grain of salt, or two. They are professionals, right, why else would they dabble in such 'dark magic'. Apparently, evidence is even emerging that they funded the early Viet Cong- all of which makes me wonder. Could the dependence of the military-industrial complex for 'hot wars' to try out new tactics and machinery play some part in this? No-one with any sense would confront the vast armies of the US.

Even a child can see that evil means lead to similar ends. The law of karma won't be abrogated just for 'special countries' like the US. It may not effect them directly, but it will certainly affect those they are trying to protect. So it is quite sad that the freedom-loving US is trying to see if the means of tyrants can prove effective. They will have to find other ways to deal with implacable opponents.

The End of the USA?

A now infamous article by a Russian professor forecast the USA breaking up into various territories, each falling under the influence of outside powers such as China, The EU and (of course) the Russian Federation. Whilst this sounds like the wishful thinking of a KGB agent, could something along similar lines actually take place? The theory held that, faced by the increasing demands of the growing Federal government, and in a time of sudden economic slump, states would simply refuse to keep funding the entire enterprise, effectively succeeding.

Seeing the dire economic state of California and the tremendous cost of the current wars in Iraq (as yet unfinished, in terms of troops finally being withdrawn) and the seeming quagmire in Afghanistan, one wonders if some kind of radical change is possible- though the idea of America losing it's influence overnight as a country is pretty far-fetched. What I think is more likely is a streamlined rearrangement, perhaps into some kind of 'American Federation', including other entities that are already economically and even culturally pretty much inseparable- namely, Canada and Mexico. Whilst there might be a few elements against this, if enough benefits were available, in the long run it could proceed pretty smoothly.

Along with the proposed 'greening' of the once lavishly wasteful country, what we'd end up with would be in some ways more localised, but in many ways a better entity to influence the world. Put simply, if everywhere tried to be like the States the way there are now, it would be a prescription for environmental disaster far worse than what we have now. Countries lead by example, not preaching. American influence being almost fundamental, change there is likely to spread.

So, ironically, the USA may only come of age and achieve it's full influence in such a radically different form. You cannot, after all, put 'new wine in old bottles'. If this does happen, no doubt many will lament the passing of the country that once was. Yet others will instead focus on the rebirth. Only time will tell... more time than I have in my life, for sure.