Credibility

Here's the thing about the Newsweek story about US interrogators desecration the Quran. Newsweek has since backed off the story. Previous to the Bush administration, this story would have no legs. In fact, there would be no story because it would never ever fucking happen. We no longer have any credibility in the world. Forget about the Quran, the Bushies have flushed this country down the toilet.

Juan Cole has an excellent post today dealing with the fact that Gitmo is probably a lab to try out new interrogation techniques. Rumsfeld's dirty little secret is now out in the open. How they thought this wouldn't happen, I don't know.

One look at history shows us why this is bad for the US. During WW II, German parents told their children when they marched off to war to find an American unit and surrender. The fathers had fought in WW I and knew the Americans would treat them well. This caused the second world war to be a lot less bloodier than if they fought to the death. We have lost that, and that will be paid for with the blood of future generations.

BTW, even though I'm fairly certain Newsweek got the facts correct, its just bad journalism to single source a story.