Jim Bovard explains, on the Antiwar.com blog (where we are very happy to have him), that once upon a time, the US Congress criminalized violations of the Geneva Conventions on how to make war “properly.” (It is shameful to all adult Americans that we would ever need to rely on foreign treaties to tell us not to torture people), but anyway…
Now,
“Attorney General Gonzales is sweating that even top government officials (like himself) could face charges if the law is vigorously enforced.
“However, since it would be up to the U.S. Justice Department to prosecute, he probably has little to fear. The Bush team wants Congress to amend the law to make it clear that it does not apply to high-ranking government officials.”
The American Empire and the American myth are getting rather far apart at this point, doncha think?
I’d really prefer that a supermajority of the American people agree with me that we’d all be much better off if we ended our empire and prosecuted our war criminals voluntarily – now – before we end up getting held to account by foreigners in the way we do to them now.
So, there it is: The awesome power of my libertarian suggestion. Everyone agree with me now, please.
