Liberals Thrive In A Facts-Free Environment

Mr. Sullivan

Your attempts to link President Bush to the breaking down of our moral and legal compass are ridiculous. Of course, when we tried to pin similar accusations on Bill and Hillary, on "Slick Willy" for his antics with Monica, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Kathleen Willey, and Juanita Broderick, and on "the smartest woman in America" concerning her incredible memory lapses about rummaging through FBI files on prominent Republicans, lost law firm billing records that mysteriously disappeared and then reappeared in the White House much later, and the like, you liberals were outraged against we conservative moralists. But at least in our accusations, we had facts on our side. In your accusations, facts are prominently missing.

You wrote: "Bush's moral standard is that imprisoning suspects without trial, stripping them of due process, and abusing and torturing them is morally defensible."

To which I reply:

"Bush's moral standard is that imprisoning suspects without trial..." These are not suspects. They were not apprehended by police for violating our laws. They are unlawful enemy combatants of no particular state/nation, serving under no internationally recognized command authority. They are not a part of any body that is a signatory to the Geneva Convention, and their treatment of prisoners they hold has included torture and summary execution.

"stripping them of due process..." Again, this is war against unlawful enemy combatants. They do not have the rights of felons apprehended by police, or of uniformed combatants captured in combat. By the way, prisoners of war are also stripped of due process and do not have standing in our court system. We can try prisoners of war for committing war crimes, but we cannot try them for being lawful enemy combatants.

"and abusing and torturing them is morally defensible." That is not the position of President Bush. Many of those who abused and tortured prisoners were arrested and were on their way to trial by courts martial before the Abu Ghraib scandal broke. They have been convicted and sentenced. My son served in Abu Ghraib at the time of the abuse, with the Nevada National Guard. His unit was well trained and disciplined, and performed their duties in a proper professional manner. They were under no direction to do otherwise. Those that abused were not following orders and established guidelines for the treatment of prisoners. They were rogue guards, and have been dealt with accordingly.

You exhibit all the classic symptoms of "Bush Derangement Syndrome," which on this subject is curable by examining the facts of the status and treatment of unlawful combatants. For liberals, there is no known cure, since liberals live in a facts-free environment.


Major Michael B. Combs, U S Air Force, Retired
Gualala, CA 95445