The Torture Memos, … was a term originally applying:
“…to a set of three legal memoranda drafted by John Yoo as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States and signed by Assistant Attorney General Jay S. Bybee, head of the Office of Legal Counsel of the United States Department of Justice [under the George W. Bush administration] They advised the Central Intelligence Agency, the United States Department of Defense, and the president on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques: mental and physical torment and coercion such as prolonged sleep deprivation, binding in stress positions, and water boarding, and stated that such acts widely regarded as torture might be legally permissible under an expansive interpretation of presidential authority during the “War on Terror”” (Wikipedia, open source)
The above quotation reaffirms and describes what was being conducted with regard to “Torture” deep inside the White House and Justice Department in the aftermath of 9/11.
Interesting, because guess who worked in that White House as Associate White House Counsel from 2001 to 2003? Oh goodness, none other than Brett Kavanaugh!
At his hearing for judgeship at the DC Court of Appeals in 2006 Brett answered more than once that he had NO knowledge of any such memos and protocols created by John Yoo, Jay Bybee and Alberto Gonzales, to name but just a few inside that administration. I guess that when it came to legal matters, like attempting to circumvent the Geneva Accords and semi legally legitimatize torture of detainees, an Associate White House Legal Counsel (duh, a lawyer) would NOT be privy to the plans. Anybody wish to buy my bridge in Brooklyn?
Not only did Brett Kavanaugh NOT acknowledge his being part of that scenario when questioned in 2006, but he used what the mob guys have done forever with his being D & D (Deaf and Dumb) when questioned recently by Senator Leahy at his confirmation hearing.
I have been told that lying about these matters is a criminal offense. Putting aside the possible criminal charges, how in the hell can any US Senator vote to confirm a man who would behave this way?
These are your and my elected officials who are supposed to defend the Constitution and what it stands for. I have reservations regarding Republican Senator Rand Paul, who rails against our phony wars and use of torture and then goes along with the rest of the gang. On the flipside, why did the Senators opposing the Kavanaugh confirmation not have used the one week waiting period while the FBI investigated the sexual assault charges to trumpet the torture memo discrepancies by Kavanaugh?
Folks, the guy might have been lying not once but twice! During the hearings why did the Democrats not use the ‘bully pulpit’ afforded them by the mainstream media to lambast, and more importantly, to educate the American public? No, they decided to play the one wild card of sexual perversion and over drinking to get Kavanaugh… and it failed. Or did it….
You see, what this ‘food fight’ has always been about is getting elected and staying in power. These two parties care about that more than anything else. They sell the sucker public into thinking that they want to get elected and in power to help the the public. This whole scenario, when the layers of that onion are pulled apart, is about elections…period!
You see, the Democrats are banking on enough Americans to believe Prof. Ford over Brett and thus do that right thing to support their party in November. Why confuse the public on torture memos? They, the Democrats and of course the Republicans, know that sexual scandals get the attention of the suckers [public opinion]… not scandals involving a few hundred rag heads getting water boarded and other assorted tortures.
Sadly, many polls have shown that to be true during our (eternal?) ‘War on Terror’. On abortion, see if I am correct in time to come. The Republicans will play to their base and push for overturning Roe vs. Wade, but they will back off when they see the overwhelming mass of women taking to the streets and political offices in protest. Once again, the Republicans want to get re-elected and that comes first.
The wizards who run this empire don’t give a damn about Pro Life or Pro Choice, or gay and women’s rights that much. No, they care about keeping the Military Industrial Empire powerful here and overseas. It’s the military spending and bases worldwide that matters to them.
On domestic issues the empire wants to keep we working stiffs inside of their virtual prison of lowest possible wages and fewest possible benefits with lots of personal debt. To them, private property rights must choke off public property rights. The more there are residential housing renters the better, since their Subprime scam already has been played out. They know that it is both of these political parties that always walk in lockstep to support this empire. This is why both parties joined repeatedly to pass more and more military spending, Wall Street bailouts, and maintaining a private insurance run health care system ( which Obama Care continued). Trump serves them for now, until they check the weather reports and find a new front man… from either party!
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Philip A Farruggio is a son and grandson of Brooklyn, NYC longshoremen. He has been a free lance columnist since 2001, with over 400 of his work posted on sites like Global Research, Greanville Post, Off Guardian, Consortium News, Information Clearing House, Nation of Change, World News Trust, Op Ed News, Dissident Voice, Activist Post, Sleuth Journal, Truthout and many others. His blog can be read in full on World News Trust, whereupon he writes a great deal on the need to cut military spending drastically and send the savings back to save our cities. Philip has a internet interview show, ‘It’s the Empire… Stupid’ with producer Chuck Gregory, and can be reached at [email protected].
