well I'm glad you register some doubt. A nation incomparably more civilised than forty years ago wouldn't have allowed the conditions that encouraged this torture . A prison is a secure closed complex, it shouldn't be that difficult to maintain strict rules for guards and prisoners and there have been enough studies to show the effects of prison life on both parties, effects that are magnified in the tense situation in Iraq. We might allow a little latitude if the culprits in this drama were a few oddballs but according to the red cross the actions were widespread and systematic, to use that popular phrase. http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=4921606 which would suggest to me we have encouraged people to act like beasts. I would take it a little further. Publicising these events could be a sign of comtempt,- the american people will do nothing, the Iraqis having been portrayed as terrorists or religious fanatics, effectively dehumanised for the general US population and any dissent can be ignored and it will eventually go away. The reaction of the Iraqis, whilst annoying and fatal to a few will not hinder the general direction of the US gvnmnt. The military will continue in it's Israeli inspired tactic of 'fire a slingshot at me I'll fire a tomahawk at you'. I'll be interestd to see whether there will be restrictions on the use of cameras in the field after this little mess.
> My
> reservations concern the ridiculousness of the adverb (such extravagance
> weakens the claim) and the ideological role which the terms "civilized"
> and "progress" or "progressive" play in popular culture in the u.s.
> (Those who think culture important should take such questions seriously.
> But perhaps culture isn't important to politics.)
>
Progressive is an adjective reserved for Rock but Civilised ,Carrol, is
taking tea at four ,in the afternoon ,and until you colonials have mastered
that you will for ever be savages in the eyes of Britannia.
Gary? ride si sapis