George Bush's Torture: History's Road --- The US and the Philippines (Cullinane)

For many people, torture is “cruel and unusual punishment”, an act expressly outlawed by the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution.  However, according to George W. Bush, in his November 8 interview with NBC television, torture is a technique that has saved the lives of Americans at home and fighting abroad, an act he is proud to have authorised and would do so again.

Bush’s legal rationale for torture remains less than compelling --- “because the lawyers said it was legal” --- but he does have more powerful backing: that of historical precedent. More than a century ago, the US Government and military, in the name of civilising progress abroad, embraced the techniques that the 43rd President still promotes.

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