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This is my take on John McCain, the presidential candidate, and human rights.
First, I want everyone to know that I respect John McCain, the veteran.
October 26, 1967 Lieutenant Commander John McCain became a prisoner of war (POW) at Hoa Lo Prison. For five and a half years he endured torture and interrogation techniques in whatever means the North Vietnamese saw fit.
The Third Geneva Convention, first adopted in 1929 and revised 1949, primarily concerns the treatment of prisoners of war.
(Article 13): "Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated."
(Article 13): "...Prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity."
(Article 17): "No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted or exposed to unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind."
These articles did not help John McCain. The Geneva Conventions were outright ignored.
The problem is that North Vietnam never ratified the Geneva Conventions while the US did, on February 8, 1955.
Technically, North Vietnam never violated the Geneva Conventions because they never accepted them. The United States has and still is violating the Geneva Conventions.
Now we come to McCain's stance on human rights as it specifically relates to torture. No one can disagree that he has first hand experience with this matter. After his five and a half years outside the Geneva Conventions he should have a profound love for them, right?
On October 3, 2005 John McCain introduced the McCain Detainee Amendment. It "prohibits inhumane treatment of prisoners, including prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, by confining military interrogations to the techniques in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Interrogation."
This is the old John McCain. This was the John McCain that opposes treating prisoners, no matter their "classification," like something other than human beings. This was John McCain standing by his principles.
On February 13, 2008 John McCain voted "Nay" on the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008. This bill, which passed the Senate 51-45 and was subsequently vetoed, bans the CIA from using waterboarding as an interrogation technique. The CIA would be required to follow the Army Field Manual, which also prohibits "beatings, electric or temperature shocks, forced nudity, mock executions, and the use of dogs." These abusive techniques are still on global display in the torture photos from Abu Ghraib.
This is his new position on torture. To quote John McCain himself: "We always supported allowing the CIA to use extra measures."
This is John McCain abandoning his principles he used to hold dear. Perhaps he has forgotten his stay at the Hanoi Hilton.
My position is simple: John McCain is now for the torture of human beings.
My problem is simple: John McCain now has no problem torturing even after enduring five and a half years of it.
My solution is simple: John McCain can't be the next President of the United States.
Interested in reading more about McCain? Just click below!
