
Guantánamo’s Darkest Secret - matt4077
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/22/guantanamos-darkest-secret
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fisherjeff
Excellent piece. It's positively shocking to see in such minute detail just
how quickly, easily, and completely the entire executive branch was able to
normalize such obviously illegal and inhumane acts.

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svinsider
What is the appropriate response to the illegal and inhumane acts that
precipitated the executive branch’s own misdeeds?

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fisherjeff
So then where is the line? The executive branch is charged with prosecuting
all criminal behavior. What’s the minimum act you would consider illegal
and/or inhumane enough to justify an illegal response?

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ObscureScience
As far as I know the "inmates" haven't even had a trial, so why would the
executive branch have a right to enact punishment?

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gringoDan
Incredible piece. I have lots of thoughts about US foreign policy and the
government's hypocrisy, but on a lighter note, this passage jumped out at me:

> _" Wood suffered a splitting headache from caffeine withdrawal. “Out here,
> I’m probably only drinking seven or eight coffees per day,” he told me.
> (During the layover in Casablanca, he had drunk a Red Bull and twenty-two
> shots of espresso.)_

That's an insane amount of caffeine!

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dosy
It's so satisfying a read. That's the great paradox of free speech I think.
Somehow by reading this, I am more inclined to endorse the excesses of
American exceptionalism than wholeheartedly criticism them. Even if it's all
hogwash, the mere sight of this lavish helping of self-directed criticism more
than enamors me to their cause, whatever it may be.

Free speech may just be a more effective social control mechanism than
democracy.

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lucideer
I'm sorry what?

If ever there were a glaring example of the blind extremes of American
exceptionalism this comment is it. Exactly which countries are you comparing
the US to that would not tolerate similar "lavish helpings of self-directed
criticism"?

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dosy
No, you're okay, you just didn't get it the first time, I'm fine with that.

I never said 'tolerate', and I think it's more promotion that tolerance being
the plan. The Americans have really become experts at strategic self-
criticism.

I remember learning about Italian Commedia dell'arte and how the satire of
power was a cathartic mechanism of control, yielding an outlet for pent up
feelings, and assisting in the maintenance of the status quo by directing the
desire for change to the outlet, rather than to actual change. Could be
related, just saying.

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umadon
This is exactly it. These articles offer an ultimately vacant catharsis in
place of change. Afterwards, the type of people who read the New Yorker can go
about their business, feeling full of rectitude and seriousness and even,
perversely, a kind of pride in their country.

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johnchristopher
So, offline outrage culture ?

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amanaplanacanal
Good god. This story is fucking terrifying.

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derpherpsson
Somehow, you being surprised by this, actually makes me a bit uneasy.

 _How_ can you not know that stuff like this is happening?

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Monotonic
The same way anybody can not know anything. There are a million things in this
world to pay attention to, people are bound to miss stuff.

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RickJWagner
"His mother dated a string of alcoholics and addicts, and took the children to
an evangelical church on Sundays..."

Makes little sense to me. I've gone to Evangelical churches for decades and
can't imagine this behavior. Do we have addicts and alcoholics? Yes, of
course. Do the single women flock towards them, one after the other? Not once
in my observation. Evangelicals generally frown upon drinking (and drugs, of
course.) There are some who imbibe or use on a regular basis, but these are
generally few and far in between. (Not judging, just saying-- who would want
to sit in a pew and condemn their own life choices? It's much easier and
better on your psyche to go find a church that isn't so uptight about these
things. The Catholics, for example, regularly hold parties where alcohol is
served. Much easier!) It just seems to me that the New Yorker is trying to
paint a picture. I wish they'd stick to straight-up story telling without the
gratuitous swipes.

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stebann
USA giving love as always! I hope US citizens can discriminate between their
politicians so all these genocides and concentration camps systems don't
perpetuate anymore. Just look at central/south-america and the damage your
politicians and militaries have done. Maybe USA is the most hated country in
the world, and you can make something to stop that.

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OneWordSoln
Man, The New Yorker just churns my processor, making the fans crank up. What
is it doing, mining Bitcoin? (I'm in FF 60.4, browsing with tracking
protection.)

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gcb0
navigating the web without Firefox + ublockOrigin is like sex without condoms.
lots of people do it, it's great, but you should know better by now.

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saagarjha
Except navigating the web with an ad blocker makes it significantly more
enjoyable.

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Palptine
Isn't it's darkest secret the fact that we can't shut it down because the
inmates don't want to face civilian trial in NYC and they have nowhere else to
go?

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ummwhat
Where did you hear they don't want to face civilian trial and even if true
where did you hear they could refuse to have a trial and also where did you
hear they would be tried in new york?

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senorjazz
I believe it is the US Gov who doesn't want them to go to trial due to lack of
evidence / evidence from torture is not usable for all that has gone on to
come out in a more public forum

