Geodog

America from the Statue of Liberty to Guantánamo

It still amazes me that in 4 short years, George Bush has managed to transform the symbols by which America is known overseas from the Statue of Liberty and Hollywood to Guantánamo and the hooded prisoner tortured at Abu Ghraib.

Each day brings new evidence confirming the reports of American murders and atrocities committed in the name of the so-called "war on terrorism," which seems to have turned into the "war to create terrorists." For instance, Human Rights Watch reports:

at least six detainees in U.S. custody in Afghanistan have been killed since 2002, including one man held by the CIA. More than two years later, no U.S. personnel have been charged with homicide in any of these deaths, although U.S. Department of Defense documents show that five of the six deaths were clear homicides.

While the Bush administration denies any responsibility for the atrocities, blaming low level soldiers for having correctly understood Bush's orders condoning torture, Guantánamo has come to symbolize the United States for large parts of the world. As the NYT reports:

From Mumbai, India, to Amman, Jordan, to London, Guantánamo is a continuing subject for discussion, from television talk shows to sermons to everyday conversations. In countries like Afghanistan, Britain and Pakistan, released detainees often return home and relate their experiences on television news programs. Accusations of egregious abuse sometimes prompt violence, as in last week's demonstrations in Afghanistan.

Guantánamo provides rhetorical fodder for politicians seeking to bring down United States-allied rulers in their own countries, and it offers a ready rallying point against American dominance, even in countries whose own police and military have been known for severe violations of human rights.

...

In Europe, accusations of abuse at Guantánamo, as much as the war in Iraq, have become a symbol of what many see as America's dangerous drift away from the ideals that made it a moral beacon in the post-World War II era. There is a persistent and uneasy sense that the United States fundamentally changed after September 11, and not for the better.

What can I say to the parents of the 654 young men being held and tortured by American soldiers in Guantánamo and Bahgram, many of whom appear to be guilty only of being Islamic in the wrong place and wrong time?

For a man raised with the idealism of the Civil Rights movement, the anti-war movement, and the Peace Corps, this is an extremely painful transformation of America. For a father who has children who have to live in this world as Americans, it is very scary.