11.20.2006

The GOP Makes One Thing Abundantly Clear: When Another Country Tortures Americans, It's a Crime Against Humanity..

YET... when agents for the U.S. torture anyone, it's just smart "business" practice.

This seems to be the message from Mel Martinez, the Florida Bushie (he was part of the Administration until there was an open seat in Florida and they wanted him in there to cement their bases), as he rants and raves about Vietnam's inhumane abuse and "torture" of an American citizen, a woman named Coc Foshee. Glenn Greenwald details the case and Martinez' reaction on his blog.

Oh, I'm with Martinez, inhumane treatment of anyone, regardless of their guilt or innocence, should NOT be tolerated. But this has to work across the board; America doesn't have carte blanche to do it while everyone else in the world is held to a different standard.

As Glenn aptly notes, we have people here, including American citizen Jose Padilla, who are subjected to at least as inhumane and torturous techniques as Martinez reports; but he applauds the U.S. while trying to end trade relations with Vietnam for what the government there did with Foshee.