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John Brennans press conference was extremely offensive. Rather than at least pretending that he felt bad about instituting torture, he instead allowed his self-righteousness to come through in an aggressive manner. This is a man who knows no shame, and who should definitely be incarcerated.
Watching Brennans performance, I was reminded of when, as part of my last job, I was part of our mental health clinics forensic team, and did pre-sentencing evaluations for the county court. This included making recommendations, based not only for the offense(s) in question, but also on the persons ability to take responsibility for their actions.
Brennan refused to identify what was done in an accurate way -- torture -- and instead attempted to sanitize it by using EIT repeatedly. Rather than take responsibility for his role in this disgusting chapter in American history, he sought to divert the publics focus by blaming others; more offensively, he attempted to identify himself with the honorable men and women who have sacrificed life and limb to protect our nation.
There is not, as far as I know, any organic defect that prevents Brennan from understanding the distinction between right and wrong. He displays no outward signs of an abnormality that prevented him from grasping the impact of torture upon another human being. Rather, it is obvious that he knew exactly what this program of torture was all about. In fact, he appeared to resent the fact that he could not claim that torturing people produced valuable intelligence.
It was apparent that John Brennan is convinced that the democrats in the Senate have betrayed him. He is convinced that the legally and ethically flawed green light that some in the Bush administration provided for torture excuses him from all responsibility. Even the tone of his voice suggested that he views himself as the true victim of the torture program.
A rational person might ask how a specimen such as John Brennan reached so high a position of power in our system of government? While no one could argue that he lacks in intelligence, his utter lack of a conscience should have disqualified him from consideration of such a position in any healthy society. Indeed, only in a malignant system could John Brennan be viewed as an asset.
I will call and write to the White House, and express my belief that President Obama should fir Brennan today.
think
(11,641 posts)Yes.
And everyone that was involved in the torture, with knowledge of, should be fired. They sound like those folks that were "just following orders"...
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)9/11 terra terra terra
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)From earlier today:
Recommended.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)Each one of them individually, and the agency as a whole.
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)There are hardly any people there with any seniority that aren't burrowed political appointees.
It will take a lot more than getting rid of Brennan to actually make the changes needed at the CIA. When they were given the goahead to pretty much do whatever they wanted in 2002 they filled the place up with ideological nutjobs and the vast majority of them are still there.
Iggo
(47,549 posts)shraby
(21,946 posts)Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)speel. First was the man's body language and his eye movement,I'am not a psychologist,but,this guy was really trying to convince the audience he is the truth. Non of the follow up questions cut away the talking points or the phony smoke screen that the CIA is trying to portray. Brennan story line was blame Obama,blame Pinetta,and blame the Dems in the Senate cause not one Rethug signed off on this report. White Wash!!!!!!!!
Response to H2O Man (Original post)
Pacifist Patriot This message was self-deleted by its author.
kentuck
(111,078 posts)..and physically remove these people? If they were knowledgeable about this torture, then they are guilty and do not deserve to work for we, the people.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Johonny
(20,833 posts)What president would allow the CIA chief to bash his own senators? Where is the Obama press conference to respond to this slander of the senate and to the American people as a whole. Honestly the lack of response in proportion to the crime is damning by Obama. How can he allow the CIA to play the 9-11 card on the party politics card to defend what is in not only this report but several different reports by different organizations.
Who is looking out for us? Who is pushing back against the torturers if not the president we voted for because he stated it was wrong and we would no longer tolerate it?
kentuck
(111,078 posts)Thoughtful.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)That's the fact. He is there because Obama wanted him there. He was Deputy Assistant Director of the CIA under Bush, but then he left government and returned when Obama asked him to return.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,583 posts)Agony
(2,605 posts)and he will have to live with it.
It is not a choice that builds respect for him from this direction...
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)Like GWB, Obama has surrounded himself with bad people, imo.
kentuck
(111,078 posts)he had chosen friends instead of enemies to work with?
I agree that many of his picks downright sucked.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)I've been hopin for his firing since he claimed his drone wars kill no civilians.
mulsh
(2,959 posts)he spoke ad infinitem and said absolutely nothing while maintaining a readily identifiable look of total contempt for the masses. Bravo Mr. Brennan.
I especially enjoyed the part where he took questions from the chattering classes. Mrs. Greenspan's rambling "torture" filled monologue was a high point for me. I wonder how long it took for her people and his people to cook that one up. I certainly see why people think she's a "respected journalist' rather than the dull party hack stenographer I think she actually is. kudos one and all
As I've come to expect H20 MAN your post is well written and spot on. thank you.
calimary
(81,211 posts)They invariably can be counted on to start playing the victim. That's a tell, for sure.
mountain grammy
(26,619 posts)easychoice
(1,043 posts)stuff a gallon jug of milkshake mix up his rectum.
After all that ask him if he thinks that is normal behavior or any way to treat another living being for that matter.
Off to supermax with you buddy,take shrubbie and the zombie formerly known as Big Dick with ya.Take rummy and kindasleezy with ya.
All ya'all have forfeited your right to live outside of a cage.
spanone
(135,822 posts)it was defiance. i don't think this matter can go on unsettled. it's not a matter of opinion. it's a matter of law.
malaise
(268,925 posts)He was shameless and tied himself up in knots of contradictions. Self-righteous best describes it.
There are no conditions under which torture is acceptable.
Dalai_1
(1,301 posts)Joey Liberal
(5,526 posts)Brennan should be fired now. Let him go be a Faux News torture hero.
malthaussen
(17,187 posts)I can not think of a way to improve on it.
-- Mal
Autumn
(45,055 posts)I won't waste my time writing or calling the White House, that Obama chose to put this man back in power tells me all I need know.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)IMO the Security State runs the country. They let the President have some power but not assoc with something as important as national security.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)Oh wait, they moved to the Arab Emirates ... never mind.
I guess we are FUBAR.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)countryjake
(8,554 posts)I doubt it'll ever happen, tho, since our prez sees Brennan as a trusted advisor, probably one of those precious "patriots" that he chose to hold-over from the previous war mongering crew. Somebody should have bought a clue when he first declined Obama's desire to nominate him years ago, back when he was eventually named the Deputy National Security Advisor.
That he blatantly lied back in March of this year about the CIA hacking of the Senate, attempting to make Sen. Feinstein out to be a fool (along with the rest of the Senate Intelligence Committee), was enough to show me that the man operates "contrary to our values" and cannot be trusted. That he thought water-boarding was an effective intelligence gathering practice while serving under Cheney/Bush in the CIA tells me that the man probably should be serving time in prison.