Michael Scherer gives voice to something I’ve been wondering about for the past few weeks:
Cheney rejected at face value the “recruitment-tool theory,” which posits that information about harsh interrogation methods riles America’s enemies and increases the danger abroad. (Final truthfulness note: Cheney and the Bush Administration have long echoed military leaders in arguing that the release of photos, like the abuses at Abu Ghraib, could harm U.S. military interests by rousing anti-American sentiment abroad.)
How exactly can these arguments be squared? Are we really supposed to believe that potential insurgents exist out there in the world who don’t care in the slightest about our torture practices, the fact we invaded Iraq without cause, the general insistence on the spread of secular humanism (on our terms…or else!), etc. but who will instantly transform into terrorists bent on the destruction of all that is good and true as soon as…more pictures are released?
I know sometimes it seems like I’m uncritical in my support for Obama. In part, it’s because I really do think he’s got a good handle not just on what the ‘right’ thing to do is, but also on the more subtle questions of what is currently possible and how we might go about constructing a world where better options become available.
That said, I’ve been pretty disappointed with him on some of this terrorism stuff lately. In part because the turnaround on releasing these pictures is just depressing and stupid. To whatever extent they provoke a backlash – they OUGHT to do so. We did terrible things. And if seeing pictures of it makes people angry, they have every right to be mad. The reason you release the pictures is to own up to what we did and try to prevent it from happening again.
Beyond that, though, I’ve also just been annoyed with the general attitude that he has been promoting on security. Namely: “OMG, terrorism is soooo scary!!! I don’t agree with some of the stuff that Bush did but I sure can see why they thought it was necessary! Because terrorism is teh WORST thing that could ever happen!”
I realize that there’s a political dynamic to this. People are obsessed with security issues – despite the fact that there are literally hundreds of other ways in which they’re more likely to suffer which the government can play a role in addressing (sickness, injury, poverty, pollution, drunk driving, poor health, etc.). But the ‘magic’ of Obama on a lot of issues is his capacity to deal with the political realities of this particular moment and pivot with an eye toward reshaping attitudes for the future.
He’s simply not doing that on terrorism. Saying that we need to be reasonable on this issue is fine. But at some point it would be nice to point out that more people die every month from a disastrous health care system than have been killed in all terrorist attacks in the history of the country. There’s even an easy way to frame this stuff: “human security.”
If you’re going to say something like “In the midst of all these challenges, however, my single most important responsibility as President is to keep the American people safe” then at least bring up the fact that safety doesn’t just come at the barrel of a gun. Safety is not only found in the prevention of catastrophic violence. It’s also found in freedom from cancer. It’s found in a world that doesn’t face collapsing biodiversity, resource shortages, and ever-worse storms. It’s found in knowing that your child will grow up with straight teeth, a healthy body, and an active mind. It’s found in schools with good teachers, modern equipment, and quality books. It’s found in a a minimum wage that doesn’t condemn you to living in poverty. It’s found in having access to reasonable credit and not suffering the extortions of the credit industry. It’s found in not being made to feel inadequate or insufficient due to your race, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else.
I know he doesn’t want to come off as a squishy liberal, but the guy is really popular. If ever there’s going to be a time to change this dynamic where security is understood in only the most narrow and apocalyptic of terms, that time is now.