The Torture and Interrogation issue

Ever since the Bush Administration stepped down, many new things have been popping up about the interrogation methods that were used in the Bush era. And with the big Waterboarding scandal that has erupted, and with the constant argument of waterboarding not being a form of torture, the US Government is looking highly confused on the whole interrogation process of terror suspects.

Barack Obama was quick with his public denunciation of these interrogation methods, especially when it comes to Guantanamo Bay. And to further drive his point home, Obama appointed Leon Panetta (who is not a big fan of torture) as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

If you have read any of my earlier articles, you do know that I am not the biggest supporter of torture as well, but I do have to say that some of the methods that people are speaking up against are slightly out of hand. 

The recent outpour of people speaking out against the US's interrogation methods are mainly due to the highly publicised holding of Abu Zubaydah, a high ranking Al Qaeda member and close associate of Osama Bin Laden. Abu Zubaydah was, according to CIA papers, subjected to 'enhanced interrogation techniques' that now currently have the media and the public speaking out very harshly against the CIA and Bush Administration. And the 10 main interrogation methods that are under heavy scrutiny are as follows;

 (l) attention grasp

 (2) walling

 (3) facial hold

 (4) facial slap (insult slap)

 (5) cramped confinement

 (6) wall standing

 (7) stress positions

 (8) sleep deprivation

 (9) insects placed in a confinement box

 (10) the waterboard.

Now what I am beginning to wonder is, are these really torture methods? When dealing with a confirmed Al-Qaeda member and Bin Laden associate, should the US really be concerned about slapping him? Come on, these are basic interrogation methods, and even though some of them (like waterboarding) can be dangerous they are in place only to guarantee Homeland Security. Really is the deprivation of sleep really a method that can be classified as dangerous, especially when dealing with such a high ranking individual?

I must say that I am confused and looking forward to the proposed interrogation methods, if the ones listed above are outlawed.

Further reading on this topic; http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6111109.ece

Random Historical Analysis: Secularism & Popular Religion

The following is just a random thought tangent I went off when I was looking at pictures of the $2 bill.

When studying Civilization in we have seen how important the rise of organized religion was in the Roman era. And as we have seen over time, there has been large amounts of progress made when it comes to organized religion. And now 33% of the world population is Christian, 21% are Islam and the rest are a mix of Hindus, Jews and of course, Atheists/ non believers. We have come a long way from believing in idols, and other such less popular forms of religion, some which have even been called ‘witch craft’.
When studying the rise of religion, there are many things that can be credited for helping it get to where it is now. Firstly the popularization of Greek philosophy provided average citizens with too many questions about life. “Why are we here?, How did we get here?” and questions of that sort were on the minds of people everywhere. In my opinion religious leaders used this general uncertainty about life as a method extending their churches popularity to the masses. And unlike other forms of religion and idol-worshipping, Christianity at that time was very open (in the sense that anyone can join).
Also another reason that I believe that major religions- Christianity especially, got to where they was through, for lack of a better word, propaganda. They were able to present the people with mental comfort by answering one of the main philosophical questions at the time that was haunting the people, which is “Where will we go after we die?”. Nobody at the time was willing to accept that they were going to be buried and end up as fertilizer, instead when Christianity offered the people a chance to live in a luxurious and free place in the sky, they were able to get large amounts of support.
I personally have nothing against religion. I believe that it teaches people to be mature and helpful citizens. It also gives people mental and emotional strength when dealing with things in their life. But one main complaint I have about religion in the Western world is that it is being used in politics way more than needed. I am a Secularist and therefore I believe in the Separation of Church and state, and I will spend the second half of this entry writing about how well the Western world has done this, in comparison with the rest of the world.
The reason that I have such an active opposition of mixing Religion and Politics is because I have seen many unnecessary prosecutions of individuals due to their religious views. And I am sure we have all heard about the Shari’a law (A Muslim law), with countries like Iran, Nigeria and Sudan etc. using the death penalty on anyone accused of homosexuality.
Therefore after analyzing the US Constitution, I was pleased to see how far the Separation of Church and state had come. But this was not achieved overnight, this was achieved by the hard work and determination by people on both sides of the problem who worked diligently to achieve their goal. I will try and point out the few most important factors that have made the Separation of Church and State successful.
The first person to make great strides in this effort ( and a personal hero of mine) was President Thomas Jefferson who himself was a staunch believer in the cause. Jefferson believed that religion was a deeply personal matter, and therefore had no business being mixed with Politics.
In 1802, Jefferson wrote a very historically important letter in response to a letter by the Danbury Baptist Association. The letter the President received was a complaint about the lack of religious liberties in the DBA’s home state of Connecticut.
In response, the President wrote;
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state.
(Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association)

This letter has been regarded as a very historically important document because it not only demanded the Separation of Church and State, but also led to the Establishment Cause in the US Constitution Amendment 1 which is ;
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
(US Constitution Amendment 1)


This in my opinion was one of the most important, if not the most important, steps towards building up a stable and strong government. I believe that one of the main reasons that the US’s Government is now the strongest in the world is mainly due to the fact that people are willing to work hard and work together in the pursuit of a common goal. And now due to the steps taken by the great Jefferson, the US is one of the foremost leaders in the exercising of religious freedoms .

Now the question is how do we spread it to the rest of the world?

Congressman Shimkus: Really?

Even though I have a strong belief in the American Government and also believe that the officials we elect into office are of high caliber, I have to admit that somehow we make mistakes. The 'mistake' that I am particularly aiming at right now is Congressman John Shimkus (R-Ill).
Now before I get into criticizing this man, I have to make it known that I am not one to criticize or lambaste a person for making the occasional mistakes, but when I see an elected official making outlandish remarks and continuing to lead in a way that is not beneficial to the citizens, I have to speak up.
The United States (so far) has proven to be a no-nonsense type of government when it comes to dealing with elected officials that make mistakes (we have all seen how easy it was for the people to turn their backs on such worthy politicians such as Clinton and Spitzer for making mistakes) and I am proud of this. This showed to me how demanding the American people are of their representatives, and therefore I support this attitude 110%. But occasionally, we forget to criticize certain officials who are doing and saying things while they are in power that could be far more damaging to us than Clintons extra marital affairs.
Which brings us to John Shimkus. At a House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing on March 25, Shimkus went on to say that God will be the one who decides when the earth will end, and Global Warming is but a myth. Excuse me?! That is what this man believes to be a good introduction at an Energy and Environment Committee hearing? And he started his foolhardy speech by quoting the bible, which I thought was completely irrelevant.
Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the Christian faith or the bible, but I am a strict supporter of the Separation of Church and State, (I am a soft Secularist) so therefore I was angry when I saw that this man did this. First of all, Shimkus has gone on the record plenty of times to say that he does not believe in evolution or global warming. I wont criticize him for not believing in evolution (its pretty common) but is he really going to stand there and say that global warming doesn't exist? Secondly, what ever happened to the Separation of Church and State? Is quoting the bible really a legitimate method of justification in government meetings nowadays? And this man is still a Congressman? And therefore because he quoted a few verses of the bible did he really think that people will completely abandon the global warming cause and stop worrying about it? I am not asking this man to be like Al Gore or anything, I would just like him to know that their are problems being faced by the world that cannot be fixed by reciting a few words, and the main reason he was elected was for him to help fix these problems. And if he wants to rely on his Christian faith to help him make decisions, then that's fine, but if he wants to be able to make decisions that will help our nation, then maybe he might have to start accepting the large problems we have facing us, the main one being Global Warming.
Watch the video of the hearing here; http://tiny.cc/Ph7yv

Sorry for the lack of posts

I know I haven't posted anything for a while, I have just been busy with exams
But I will start writing again soon, and the first thing I will discuss is the new documentary 'The Obama Deception'. If you haven't seen it yet, here is the link: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=obama+deception&hl=en&emb=0&aq=f#
Its something to watch, and stay tuned for my analysis of the film. (coming soon)