Are You Upset Because the Torture Report Was Released Just Before Christmas?

[rhett o rick]

Whoopi Goldberg is. On The View she expressed her disappointment that this nasty (my word) report was brought out at this time. And I’m betting she isn’t the only one. How dare we let reality ruin our Christmas. This is the attitude that is crushing our democracy.

Shame on those that are disappointed at the timing, but actually, the question of why at this time is a great question. Whoopi and others won’t look deep enough to find the answer.

It appears to me that the timing was aimed at getting the report released when the American public was most distracted. A Friday night news dump wasn’t good enough. This is a Christmas news dump.

So what is Whoopi so upset about? The facts that reveal that we, the supposedly “Good Guys” used techniques that we associate with the evil fascists? Or because the information might bring us down at this happy time of year?

We let this happen. Are we going to let it be normalized? The question is rhetorical, of course we are.

[L0oniX]

1. Good people finding out they aren't good people. SHOCKING!

[TheBlackAdder]

27. If Sep-Oct, it would be seen as highly political. Now, lets see what new congress does.

This is a present for the New Congress.

Let's see how they try to handle this situation.

[Kalidurga]

2. No I am more upset over the black boxes

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. The opinions of celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg

mean absolutely nothing. Sorry, Whoopi, if the knowledge of how fucking evil our government can be spoiled your Christmas. I don't think the timing had anything to do with Christmas; if they really wanted to do a Christmas news dump hoping nobody'd pay attention they'd have released it on the 24th. But whining about "spoiling" Christmas? Please.

[rhett o rick]

5. While I agree that Whoopi's opinion isn't any more valuable than anyone else, I think her

attitude reflects what a lot of authoritarian Americans think.

If you don't think this report was released near Christmas to ease the shock, you have way more faith in your government than I think is healthy.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. I really don't have much faith in my government any more.

The torture report sort of proves I shouldn't have any. But I really think they'd have released it much closer to Christmas if they wanted people not to notice it, since the full holiday onslaught hasn't really picked up yet. The task of minimizing and debunking is being left to the GOPers and Faux "News."

[rhett o rick]

12. I always start with the premise that they are trying to pull something over.

Call me paranoid. My thinking - Assuming they are trying to minimize the impact, why would they pick this time? If they released it very close to Christmas it might piss some people off more than Whoopi represents. And the consternation might carry thru Christmas. If they release it now it is more of a minor annoyance and after the bowl games, should be forgotten.

I am always open to other ideas. Why would they choose now?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. The question is... are you too paranoid, or are you not paranoid enough?

I'm pretty sure they wanted to wait until after the elections. Beyond that, I don't know.

[rhett o rick]

15. We all have to choose the reality balance we can handle. nm

[scarletwoman]

20. I think the reason for the timing is pretty simple, actually.

And yes, I'll call you paranoid.

The Senate Dems wanted to get it out before the Holiday Recess, while they still held the majority. If they had waited until after the upcoming Recess, the Senate would have passed into Republican control, and they knew there was a chance it wouldn't be released at all.

They finally got the report, and released the Summary as soon as it was feasible. Christmas had nothing to do with the timing, other than the fact that the clock is ticking down to the Christmas/New Year Recess, and the subsequent end of the Dem majority in the Senate.

[sabrina 1]

24. I agree with you. I believe that was the reason. Had Dems held the Senate

I think they might have waited.

[rhett o rick]

33. I thought the President was holding up the release. nm

[SamKnause]

4. Sad, very sad indeed.

We are being told by the president of the United States that these people are patriots.

We are being told that we are being sanctimonious.

The U.S. will prosecute none of the guilty.

When did this become the norm ???

It sickens me.

I will never accept that it is normal or moral to torture people.

What kind of mindset do people have that do this for a living ???

Since when is it moral or acceptable to pay people to torture people ???

It just boggles my mind.

[Scuba]

7. +1

[sabrina 1]

25. I am with you 100%. I remember the feelings of shock

when I first learned of the torture of detainees, horror, shame and I swore then I would never allow myself to 'get used to it'.

Great post, thank you.

[SamKnause]

30. You are most welcome.

I hope we are the majority and not the minority.

I fear we are not.

From my personal observations I have come to the conclusion that the U.S. is a country that loves vengeance.

We have the death penalty.

We have a penal system that is brutal and barbaric.

We have the largest prison population.

I feel as if I was born on the wrong planet.

War
Torture
Homelessness
Starvation
Disease
Poverty;

All of these problems could be solved. They should never be thought of as 'normal'. No human can have a decent or fulfilling life under these conditions.

The people who control planet earth are not interested in solving any of these problems.

Have a pleasant and safe evening.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Whoopi has probably already moved on to the next "Look at Me" notion.

Why isn't she out there marching with Ferguson protesters?

For that matter, why isn't ANYONE from Hollywood out there?

I'm grateful, for once, for many professional sports team members for their voices, but not hearing much from the film, TV, or music industries.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. I think a lot of them (the Hollywood types) are waiting to see where it goes.

Right now it's too controversial. As soon as the movement or whatever it turns out to be becomes safer for celebrities (i.e., they won't lose gigs on account of it) they'll jump right in.

[NYC_SKP]

11. I suppose you're right. Activist only when it doesn't jeopardize their comfortable incomes.

We see a lot of this...

[Cosmic Kitten]

21. Good points!

Why isn't ANYONE from Hollywood out there?
Srsly, that is a great question.

As to the report, better now than never.
Good to see some Democrat backbone.
To: Mark Udall

[hlthe2b]

10. Is there a "GOOD" time to release a TORTURE report?

geebus.

[rhett o rick]

13. No of course not. No one is saying there is. But the WH has held it up for months. Why now? nm

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. I think it was the Senate Intelligence Committee that released the report,

not the WH. So maybe they wanted to get it out before the GOPers took over the Senate (meaning it might never see the light of day at all).

[onecaliberal]

17. I don't give a rats ass if Whoopie is upset.

People like her can get on teevee and talk about pop culture bullshit like nothing serious is going on. It's not fine, read what we did to those people. She can rationalize all she wants. It's been 13 fucking years and as horrid a read as it is, it's quite sanitized compared to what really happened.

[rhett o rick]

18. Apparently I did a bad job of making my point. This isn't about Whoopi.

This is the millions of people that have the same attitude as she expressed. People that won't watch a MSNBC discussion on torture if it means they miss "A Christmas Story". The millions that don't give a shit if we slide into fascism.

[onecaliberal]

19. I guess that was mostly obvious after

November 4. My point was I don't care what any of them think. Just goes to show they have more in common with the so called "terrorists" in the Middle East who do the same to citizens who refuse to conform or pray to Allah. These people are a terminal cancer on the world.

[AtomicKitten]

22. The time to unveil this kind of study was over a decade ago.

Sorry Whoopi, the truth is long overdue.

[dflprincess]

23. I'm way more upset that no one is going to prison. nt

[Lint Head]

26. Eggnog boarding.

[stage left]

28. No.

I'm not upset that the torture report was released just before Christmas. I'm upset that the US tortured people. No. I'm appalled. And I fear that most Americans are paying no attention.

[rhett o rick]

29. +1

[raging moderate]

31. No, the timing does not upset me.

Christmas is about people who lived two thousand years ago, in a tiny country occupied by a brutal, sadistic superpower with delusions of both grandeur and moral superiority which made the superpower determined to conquer the world in order to ram their special "Pax" down everybody's throat.

Sounds eerily familiar, doesn't it?

No, Christmas is about forgiving and helping and caring and sharing even in the midst of horror. Especially in the midst of horror.

[rhett o rick]

32. I agree. If we use the excuse of Christmas to sweep the horrors of the Conservatives then

we wouldn't have paid attention anywayz.