American Amnesia: We Forget Our Atrocities Almost As Soon as We Commit Them

[NicholeW.]

American Amnesia: We Forget Our Atrocities Almost As Soon as We Commit Them
By Noam Chomsky, Tomdispatch.com. Posted May 20, 2009

http://www.alternet.org/rights/140137/american_amnesia%3A_we_forget_our_atrocities_almost_as_soon_as_we_commit_them/

The torture memos released by the White House elicited shock, indignation, and surprise. The shock and indignation are understandable. The surprise, less so.

...

More importantly, torture has been routinely practiced from the early days of the conquest of the national territory, and continued to be used as the imperial ventures of the "infant empire" -- as George Washington called the new republic -- extended to the Philippines, Haiti, and elsewhere. Keep in mind as well that torture was the least of the many crimes of aggression, terror, subversion, and economic strangulation that have darkened U.S. history, much as in the case of other great powers.

[tekla]

Historical amnesia is a dangerous phenomenon, not only because it undermines moral and intellectual integrity, but also because it lays the groundwork for crimes that still lie ahead.

That's why we'll never have the trials, hearings and the rest.  Far too many people are guilty in signing off on this, and we'd hate to lose this very special tool in the box.

[GinaDouglas]

We don't always forget, sometimes we just write the history wrong.

Trivia: More Congressional Medals of Honor were handed out for one battle, than any other single military battle in American history.  Which battle?

[NicholeW.]

Custer's Last Stand? And why should I care?

[RebeccaFog]

I knew that Pelosi and some of the others were aware of what was being done. I knew they'd do nothing to stop it or to punish the perpetrators.

Nothing will be done unless other nations actually stand up to the U.S., but they never will.  I'd like to see some Europeans agents slip into the country and extract Rumsfeld, Yoo, Cheney, and the other worst of the worst.

Oh, and that fat snivelling s***head, Kissinger. 

[NicholeW.]

... I'd like to see some Europeans agents slip into the country and extract Rumsfeld, Yoo, Cheney, and the other worst of the worst.

Oh, and that fat snivelling s***head, Kissinger. 

Hmmm, maybe Spanish agents are on the verge of extracting Rummy, Yoo, and the Dick, Reeb.

But I imagine that Kissinger isn't a target of interest anymore. Afterall, Franco was in-power when Henry was doing such stuff.