Myth Busting

The news is not good for a long held liberal position on granting special protections to foreign despots, murderers, tyrants, and terrorists. The basis for extending special constitutional protections is the Geneva Convention treaty for treatment of military combatants and civilians. This treaty was proposed by the United States after more than 62 million soldiers and civilians were killed during World War II. Some estimate that more civilians died than soldiers.

The intent of the Geneva Convention was to establish clear wartime treatment standards that all signatories would respect. Problem is that only the United States has respected the Geneva Convention. Fact is that North Korea and China didn't respect Geneva in the UN's action. The Soviet Union didn't respect Geneva when they shot down Powers' U2 spy plane. North Vietnam's soldiers didn't respect Geneva during the late sixties and early seventies. In fact Senator McCain was tortured with hundreds of other pilots and captured soldiers.

We know the French tortured Algerians after signing the Geneva Convention. We know the British tortured IRA terrorists during the 1970s and 1980s. We know South American and Central American dictators tortured and murdered thousands without a thought of Geneva Convention protections. And we know what Middle Eastern despots and terrorists do to Americans, civilian and military. That leaves only the United States. So the myth that we must adhere and even provide extra protections to not just soldiers, but illegal combatants and terrorists, so that our soldiers and civilians will receive respectful treatment is not just misguided, but factually inaccurate.

Worse is the myth that aggressive interrogation doesn't result in successfully gathering usable information. A CBS investigative story debunks the myth that only respecting and hugging terrorists will encourage them to rat on their fellow murderers. Proof is that coercive interrogation works. Some say that Senator McCain opposes coercive questioning because he was tortured and then accused of talking by several other torture victims in Hanoi, North Vietnam. If he did talk, he would have to admit it by saying that torture works because it worked on him. So he says no way.

Bottom line is that no other nation respects the Geneva Convention and most importantly, coercive interrogation works.