U.S. TV Provides Ample Platform For American Torturers, But None to Their Victims

[Hissyspit]

U.S. TV PROVIDES AMPLE PLATFORM FOR AMERICAN TORTURERS, BUT NONE TO THEIR VICTIMS

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/12/16/u-s-tv-media-gives-ample-platform-american-torturers-victims/

BY GLENN GREENWALD
@ggreenwald TODAY AT 9:34 AM

Ever since the torture report was released last week, U.S. television outlets have endlessly featured American torturers and torture proponents. But there was one group that was almost never heard from: the victims of their torture, not even the ones recognized by the U.S. Government itself as innocent, not even the family members of the ones they tortured to death. Whether by design (most likely) or effect, this inexcusable omission radically distorts coverage.

Whenever America is forced to confront its heinous acts, the central strategy is to disappear the victims, render them invisible. That’s what robs them of their humanity: it’s the process of dehumanization. That, in turns, is what enables American elites first to support atrocities, and then, when forced to reckon with them, tell themselves that - despite some isolated and well-intentioned bad acts – they are still really good, elevated, noble, admirable people. It’s hardly surprising, then, that a Washington Post/ABC News poll released this morning found that a large majority of Americans believe torture is justified even when you call it “torture.” Not having to think about actual human victims makes it easy to justify any sort of crime.

That’s the process by which the reliably repellent Tom Friedman seized on the torture report to celebrate America’s unique greatness. “We are a beacon of opportunity and freedom, and also [] these foreigners know in their bones that we do things differently from other big powers in history,” the beloved-by-DC columnist wrote after reading about forced rectal feeding and freezing detainees to death. For the opinion-making class, even America’s savage torture is proof of its superiority and inherent Goodness: “this act of self-examination is not only what keeps our society as a whole healthy, it’s what keeps us a model that others want to emulate, partner with and immigrate to.” Friedman, who himself unleashed one of the most (literally) psychotic defenses of the Iraq War, ended his torture discussion by approvingly quoting John McCain on America’s enduring moral superiority: “Even in the worst of times, ‘we are always Americans, and different, stronger, and better than those who would destroy us.’”

This self-glorifying ritual can be sustained only by completely suppressing America’s victims. If you don’t hear from the human beings who are tortured, it’s easy to pretend nothing truly terrible happened. That’s how the War on Terror generally has been “reported” for 13 years and counting: by completely silencing those whose lives are destroyed or ended by U.S. crimes. That’s how the illusion gets sustained.

- snip -

It would be incredibly easy, and incredibly effective, for U.S. television outlets to interview America’s torture victims. There is certainly no shortage of them. Groups such as the ACLU, Center for Constitutional Rights, Reprieve, and CAGE UK represent many of them. Many are incredibly smart and eloquent, and have spent years contemplating what happened to them and navigating the aftermath on their lives.

MORE

[WillyT]

1. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[Rex]

2. Our government and law enforcement have the same fatal problem.

They continuously pretend that they are prefect and can do no wrong in the world. Torture? Yeah but. Cold blooded murder of a 12 year old? Justifiable. Wall Street runs the country. Yeah but.

Everything is met with an excuse and then dismissed.

[xocet]

3. K & R

...

Nobody could listen to Maher Arar speak and feel anything but disgust and outrage toward the U.S. Government – not just the Bush administration which kidnapped him and sent him to be tortured, but the Obama administration which protected them and blocked him from receiving justice, and the American media that turned a blind eye toward it, and the majority of the American public that supports this. But that’s exactly why we don’t hear from him: he isn’t on CNN or Meet the Press or Morning Joe to make clear what Michael Hayden and John Yoo really did and what the U.S. government under a Democratic president continues to shield.

...

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/12/16/u-s-tv-media-gives-ample-platform-american-torturers-victims/

[Enthusiast]

4. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

Hey, Glenn, it's not just torture victims, they won't allow us to speak either, only Republicans and some Democrats that stick to a strict script.

This country completely sucks now. It's corruption from sea to shining sea and the media is entirely one sided.

[spanone]

5. we are not the america i grew up believing in.....very sad.

our media is a hoax and a joke.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

9. I'm 73 and totally agree.

America, almost everything you taught me was incorrect.
I urge everyone to stop pledging allegiance and when we are asked why, we start listing the reasons.
That might get the attention of the media and force them to start talking about it.

[stillwaiting]

6. It perfectly illustrates how our media is a propaganda outlet. nt

[stupidicus]

7. well, it all leads back to the toothless lapdog, so-called "liberal media"

who will of course try to take a bite outta any enemy of the state.

As noted in an earlier post, they are all but totally responsible for the ignorance behind the current popularity of torture in this country

[dirtydickcheney]

8. It would be great to have a TV station

that focused exclusively on the victims of these "Elites" and their policies.

[Hissyspit]

10. Kick nt

[Oilwellian]

11. Perhaps Rachel can interview one of the Iraqi boy's we tortured

That may be the one story that would make America sit up and say enough. Then again, I have my doubts.

[JEB]

12. Kick.

[sabrina 1]

13. Thank you Glenn Greenwald, again, for doing what our so-called 'journalists' refuse to do,

report the TRUTH. And THAT is why they hate him. The enablers, the puppets, the operatives, all are colluding to deceive the American people.

If the American people knew about the RAPES and the SODOMIZING of children in front of their mothers, if they heard about the tortured Child Soldier and if they knew HOW these people ended up in our detention centers, that the were NEVER the 'worst of the worst' those polls would be a whole lot different.

All WE can do is to tell as many people as we can what has been done in our name.

And if everyone who knows, does so, over time things will begin to change.

I'm sure the German people polled in favor of Hitler's actions, for the same reason, they didn't have the information.

Glenn Greenwald has the courage to tell the truth. That is why he was targeted for a smear campaign.

[Scuba]

15. Victims? Hell, even the critics denied airtime.

[HomerRamone]

16. Kick too late for Greatest? (been busy) nt