Zeb Bell: This Is Idiocy

The United States has led the world in adopting rules for its military forces which recognized that enemies are also human beings and that captured or detained people are entitled to retain their fundamental rights as humans regardless of their past conduct or beliefs.

That isn't a quote taken from some "namby-pamby, bleeding-heart liberal, how-to-conduct-a-war-without-hurting-anyone" literature.  That's a quote taken directly from a Marine Corps training manual as it was used several years ago, the Guidebook for Marines.

Having learned this fundamental lesson of the Law of War in Marine Corps Basic Training and having been drilled in the importance of the Geneva Conventions as they apply to armed conflict, not only for the sake of protecting enemies and non-combatants from unnecessary suffering, but to enhance our own ability to conduct war, hearing a man who has never been closer to putting on a uniform than watching a John Wayne movie say, "To hell with any Geneva Convention" is infuriating.  That's exactly what Zeb Bell said Wednesday.

In the process of extolling what he believes to be the virtues and necessity of summary execution as he says it should have pertained to the Iraqi journalist attempting to pelt President Bush with both shoes recently (yes, the rant in which he called the Secret Service the SS), Zeb Bell also discussed the "idiocy" of the Geneva Conventions and how they are no longer applicable; in the course of the discussion, frequent guest Sharon Hardy-Mills called them "proper etiquette rules."

The United States Marine Corps, hardly on the edge of liberal thought nor known for its coddling of the enemy, trained that violations of the principles of the Law of War, including the Geneva Conventions, "detract from the commander's ability to accomplish his [or her] mission, have an adverse impact on public opinion (both national and international), have on occasion served to prolong conflict by inciting an opponent to continue resistance and far from weakening the enemy's will to fight, it strengthens it."  The Law of War is inspired by the desire to diminish the evils of war and to help bring peace and it is not only naive but ignorant to assert that these are simply some arbitrary rules of etiquette.

Also during the segment, Bell went on to say that he would personally conduct torture on a captive to gain information saying, "I will go to any length and any means to get that information from that particular person."  This despite evidence that torture does not work and (from Small Wars Journal), "if you support the use of waterboarding on enemy captives, you support the use of that torture on any future American captives."

It is unforgivable but understandable where Bell gets his ideas on the value and fruitfulness of using torture when even Vice President Dick Cheney (who never donned a uniform either), while inexplicably still maintaining that "we don't do torture," admitted recently that waterboarding (a torture technique used by groups such as Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and for which we have convicted people of war crimes) a prisoner or captive is "appropriate" and that it has been "crucial" in preventing subsequent attacks since 9/11.

While it is true that there have been no attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11, it is impossible to draw a logical conclusion that torture is what has kept us safe. In fact, with the Iraq war well into its sixth year (currently third in duration behind Vietnam and the American Revolution), perhaps the truth is to be found in the principle learned as a young Marine years ago:  violations of the Law of War "prolong conflict by inciting an opponent to continue resistance."

The argument is often used that 9/11 changed everything; that this is a different kind of war with a different kind of enemy and we can't continue fighting this enemy in the same way we've always fought.  Well, keeping America safe means more than just insuring our physical safety.  It means keeping intact our values—our reverence and respect for human life —and only a blow-hard coward from Murtaugh, Idaho, and others like him, could believe otherwise.

Comments

[Tom von Alten]

Just one of the many ironies of the supposed "conservative" Bush/Cheney administration is the way they substituted their "judgment" for the rule of law, and what was supposed to be the preeminent priority of their jobs: protecting and defending the Constitution.

Beyond the direct damage, there is this pernicious effect of misguided leadership: misguided followers.

Bell is a fungus on the airwaves, a slime mold.

[MountainGoat]

I agree Tom. Funny that these "liberal values" were learned in the Marine Corps.

Fungus and slime mold leave a nice visual btw.... ;-)

[Grandjester]

I really take exception to this theory the right has taken that Geneva is "outdated" or some sort of ancient text. It is a thoroughly modern contrivance, continaully updated with nations signing on quite recently. It is held as the Supreme Law of the Land as part of the treaty provisions of no less then THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, which every Marine, every servicemember, every single Federal worker take an oath, not only to uphold, but to defend against ALL enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC. Why does Zeb Bell hate America?

[Grandjester]

I really take exception to this theory the right has taken that Geneva is "outdated" or some sort of ancient text. It is a thoroughly modern contrivance, continaully updated with nations signing on quite recently. It is held as the Supreme Law of the Land as part of the treaty provisions of no less then THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, which every Marine, every servicemember, every single Federal worker take an oath, not only to uphold, but to defend against ALL enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC. Why does Zeb Bell hate America?

[Bronco]

I don't know if anyone has ever taken the time to thank you for listening to Zed Bell everyday even though you think he is Satan's mentally challenged younger brother. But you did some good. Your link to the KBAR stream let me listen to the Blackfoot Broncos play the Bobcats in basketball. If you hadn't done this I'd never been able to listen to the fine game.