THE UNITED STATES' MORAL AUTHORITY

THE ABSURD TIMES

THE UNITED STATES' MORAL AUTHORITY

           

 

Above: A Palestinian Cabinet member was killed by an Israeli soldier for the crime of planting a olive tree in a restricted area.  Clearly an exercise of moral authority. 

            After the Senate Report on our torture practices, the President's press secretary pointed out that our President ordered that we not torture people because our greatest weapon in our strategic arsenal is our "Moral Authority".  He could not even say anything about the subject without using military metaphor.

            The statements of presidential press agents are valuable because they reflect what that President thinks the public will or might believe is true.  One of the most memorable statements came during the Watergate incidents during the Nixon administration.  After spending several conferences stating boldly that the President knew absolutely nothing about the break-in and had nothing to do with covering it up, the facts caught up with him.  In order to maintain credibility he could not say "I've been lying to you," so he came up with the following masterpiece: "All previous comments and remarks concerning this situation are now inoperable."  (You should laugh now.)

The now retired Head of the CIA has defended the torture.  However, it is now called Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, a euphemism for Torture.  Well, people now understand that the term means torture, so now it is referred to as "EITs".   There is no rational person who will expect that changing the term we use for such things as forced rectal feeding and extended sleep deprivation, as well as the other forms of torture mentioned, will in any way change its moral quality. 

In addition, the argument is rather foolishly put forth that it does not work.  In other words, while it is true that people will say anything they think will cause you to stop inflicting a given amount of pain on them, there is little assurance that what they say will be of any value.  Even so, whether or not some method obtains the desired results is not a measure or moral authority to employ that method.  If it is, then there is little reason to consider the term "moral" as anything other than "expedient". 

Alberto Gonzales was the Attorney General during the bush administration (among other individuals).  He has stated that he did not know much about the details concerning forced rectal feeding, yet he considered it, along with everything else Bush II did, perfectly legal.  Those who believe that forced rectal feeding is covered in Law School are in error.  Even so, there would seem to be a significant difference between moral and legal.

            Our moral authority is best seen abroad by how we treat our own citizens.  Unfortunately, our system is thoroughly infected by capitalism to the extent that whether or not a practice is profitable what determines the proper behavior.  Morality and profitability have quite often been at odds with one another.

            The current behavior of certain police departments, especially towards black Americans, has led to angry demonstrations recently.  One should, however, remember that the police enforce official laws and attitudes and impoverishment and ignorance often conflict with those laws, and certainly with what most people consider "morality".

            The rest of the world should remember, however, that the United States has many weapons, both financial and military, and if it says it is morally superior you have better behave as if it does.  Perhaps that is wherein American "Moral Authority" lies.

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OCCUPY THE MORAL, POLITICAL, AND JOURNALISTIC HIGH GROUND

OCCUPY THE MORAL, POLITICAL, AND JOURNALISTIC HIGH GROUND







    As all our readers know, the Absurd Times has always occupied the moral high ground in American journalism, political commentary, and continues that tradition in this issue by commenting on the most significant issue in the news.  Above there are photographs of the Columbian prostitute that was involved with the secret Service and its horrible breach of conduct while guarding the President.  The member of the Secret Service refused to pay her the $47 she was due, or so we hear, and this is what caused all the furor.

     We re-publish these pictures not out of any prurient interest.  We only publish them so that other Secret Service members know not to do that anymore.  Yes, the is a highly moral undertaking and of the most serious import in these serious times.  We have always tried to raise the tone of our society and we publish these photos of this scantily clad, young, nubile, female in the best journalistic and moral interests of American news media.

     As someone point out, to occupy the moral high ground in American journalism and politics is akin to climbing the tallest mountain in Holland.

    It is, therefore, understandable that the media has not spent much time on India launching an ICBM, prompting Pakistan to launch one.  No time spent on the Israeli Army's opinion that the leadership of Iran is quite rational and of no danger concerning nuclear arms, nor any spent talking about the largest outdoor prison camp called Gaza.  There is also no point in discussing the upcoming test of a nuclear bomb by North Korea.

    Something can be gained by discussing the sexual escapades of John Edwards, but no live footage is available.

    We here at the Absurd Times do wish we could pay attention to some other issues, the the scantily clad prostitute (alleged) supersedes such paltry issues.  Yes, we insist on the moral high ground.