A British Judge denounces the US position on torture as "not the same as ours."
A British Judge denounces the US position on torture as "not the same as ours" and states it "does not appear to coincide with that of most civilised nations" as the US dismisses a UN report calling for the closure of Guantanamo Bay as a "rehash of allegations."…
Article comments
26 - Kathy
Hi, A.L.
Thoughtful answer; good questions. "When" seems to be 9/11 -- a watershed event that led to the "with us or against us" rhetoric/mindset.
Dave - thanks for the link to the AG post.
Your corporate tax "data" is as vacuous as Bing's. Going "up" relative to ... what? Doesn't change the fact that almost 3/4 of the tax revenue in the country is from individuals -- a signficant change since WWII.
The logic behind the rates is, umm, not obvious:
http://www.smbiz.com/sbrl001.html#ci
In 2000, MSN money says that "94% of all U.S. corporations paid less than 5% of their total income in corporate taxes, the GAO said in a report" ... "more than 21% of the $302 billion in tax refunds distributed last year went to corporations, IRS data show" (but they paid only about 17% of the taxes, IIRC)
"Nearly one-third of the nation’s largest and most profitable corporations paid no federal income tax between 2001 and 2003"yet still received billions of dollars in tax rebates, according to a new study."
All F500. All profitable in the three year period.
This isn't including the off-shore movement of headquarters/$.
Those companies paying taxes must feel like wussies.
27 - arcticwaste
The US constitution was written for its citizens, not for some conspiring camel loving ragheads, if it takes torture and long term hell given out, then so be it, what really matters is no individual or small force militia should EVER be allowed to prevail against civilians in the US, Canada Australia, Great Britain, ETC ETC. We should all stand for our individual countries and what we believe in, we, like or not are in the west and have it pretty good and despite some tree huggers claiming foul, the VAST majority of us prefer to go shopping without some raghead trying to blow our families up. If it takes pouring melted lead into there ears to make them talk then I am all for it.
Death to ALL who oppose us.
Shane, Brit expat residing in Canad
28 - Dave Nalle
The US constitution was written for its citizens, not for some conspiring camel loving ragheads
Are you sure about that? Mightn't the universal principles of the Declaration of Independence and the rights in the bill of rights be things which all people are entitled to as a principle of natural law?
Dave
29 - Kathy
Shane -- I find your comments racist, offensive and chock full of assumptions.
Neither you -- nor I -- know if the people who are being held at Gitmo have committed a crime. That's because they haven't had a trial.
Lovely rhetoric, though. You're a poster child for two great thoughts on differences between the left and the right:
Do Bush followers have a political ideology? and The Conservative Faith.
Keep up the good work.
30 - Shocked
I can't believe there are peple in the world who think what America is doing in Guantanamo is morally defensible. You then sit there like confused children wondering why the rest of the civilised world despises you. Bring on the superquake I say, that should get rid of some of the rubbish.
31 - beast
Proof that civilians cannot, should not, and must not conduct war.
War is about killing people, and breaking up things, not about being nice and looking good.
32 - troll
beast - so where's the 'war' - ?
troll
33 - Dave Nalle
I can't believe there are peple in the world who think what America is doing in Guantanamo is morally defensible.
What is this 'morality' you speak of, Shocked? All I know is that it's unquestionably legally defensible both under US and international law. Morality is a fiction used by extremists to justify their bigotry.
Dave
34 - prophet
#20
Lu
Dear Lu, you are right.
"We have to look at the morality of our actions - making people suffer in prison is not right, those people in prison who might have attacked americans, their actions are wrong as well. But it is not up to us, to be judge, jury and executioner ."
They should never have landed in jail, they should have been shot immediately, as all who plan the downfall of a democratic governement, to bad we have so few democratic governements on this globe (if any).
If I would have been an advisor to Mr. Bush, I would have suggested giving all iraquies and other moslem countries weapons (not atomic), and watch them killing each other over the interpretation of the koran, then one could have made a parking place for the rest of the world and also have their oil for the takeing (but one can't eat oil), maybe the moslems will find that out in the near or far future, when the west doesn't need their oil anymore and they can't import food, and the desert doesn't supply anything anymore, maybe that is why so many moslems have infiltrated our countries and we fools let them.
35 - beast
Sky News link
36 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Dave says (comment #2), When we start basing our national policies on world opinion we're well and truly screwed as a nation.
I'm gonna remember that line. I have the feeling it won't be too long before I get to throw it back at you
37 - Dave Nalle
I'm sure you're right, Ruvy. Once an international leftist like Kerry gets into the White House I imagine all my worst expectations will be realized. Let's hope we still have a Constitution bu the time the electorate sees sense and votes them out again.
Dave