Americans have fought and died to preserve human rights, civil rights and the rule of law. Those principles have been regarded as the highest values of our nation. America was the world's good guy, demonstrating to other nations that a country could be great AND have the highest standards of morality.

And, as I said, Americans died to implement and preserve that culture.

The badguys could imprison, torture and kill at will, on the whim of their dictators. Including but not limited to Stalin and Hitler. And we were good guys. We demonstrated values as well as lectured others on their failures.

Recently America gave up those principles, and joined those without regard for human rights, civil rights or the rule of law. On the whim of the President of the United States the US could secretly imprison, imprison without representation, or even charges, and tortured both in the US by the US and elsewhere with surrogates. Identical to the badguys in quality if not in quantity. Yet.

Sometimes good guys have to work a little harder, sometimes good guys have to absorb losses, sometimes good guys need to demonstrate principles in the face of adversity. That, and only that makes them the good guys.

Of course there is a cost. But to not do so relegates the good guys to the level of the lowest.

However, when principles are exercised only when convenient they are not principles. They are then The Ten Options, for instance. The measure of a man, community or nation is the tough times, and how it lives up to it's professed moralities during difficulty.

The US flunked. That for which people died to start this country was given away, not lost in battle. By people who profess to be followers of He who said, "Turn the other cheek." Who say they are defending that for which this country stands.

And if we don't recognize what we did, what it cost, we are condemned to repeat it. To stay in the ranks of the foulest of the foul. The saddest comment I've heard is "Saddam made us do it." Saddam made the strongest country the world has ever seen do what?

I'm not as radical as was Jesus but argue with this post and you're arguing with Him.

Stand for something or stand for nothing. Nations don't torture as a concession to the badguys, they don't torture to keep their self-esteem, integrity and values. To honor those who died to preserve those values. And for some they have to in order to respect their religious beliefs. It is not for the badguys that one refrains from torture, it is for oneself.

And sometimes that might cost. Not all who die are soldiers.

Arf