"It Depends on Who Does It"

In this article, we see some of the first honest - if not politically correct - analysis of the waterboarding/torture debate: Asked at a community meeting here whether he considered waterboarding torture, Mr. Giuliani said: “It depends on how it’s done. It depends on the circumstances. It depends on who does it.” It depends on who does it??? Apparently, he hasn't read things like this HRW report, which do an excellent job of describing and characterizing the issue. Also, he should be wary of receiving a politically charged letter similar to this one, sent to AG nominee Mukaskey. The waterboarding debate should be a non-issue, but it seems to continually rear its ugly head. Many administration employees are forced to read very lightly here, in order to avoid a possible denunciation of the techniques authorized by the current leadership. It could even be constituted as war crimes, although the possibility of any actual punishment is almost nothing. All this refers to the tacit implication that I and others have referenced many times: If the "good" guys do it, then it's "coercive interrogation" that is essential to national security. If the "bad" guys do it, then it is barbaric torture. This line of thinking is one that must be eliminated from our leadership if we are to try to repair our shattered moral image in the world. Yet another reason not to vote for the former NYC mayor.