British government denounces Guantanamo
September 13th, 2006
The British Lord Chancellor, with the authority of the British government, has denounced Guantanamo as “shocking affront to the principles of democracy,” according to the BBC. He stated:
“It is a part of the acceptance of the rule of law that the courts will be able to exercise jurisdiction over the executive.
“Otherwise the conduct of the executive is not defined and restrained by law.
“It is because of that principle, that the USA, deliberately seeking to put the detainees beyond the reach of the law in Guantanamo Bay, is so shocking an affront to the principles of democracy.
He also stated the obvious, that rather than Guantanamo protecting us, it poses a grave threat:
“In June of this year, I said Guantanamo Bay was a recruiting ground for terrorism and I found it intolerable.”
We might ask, when will the American Psychological Association come out and say that participation of psychologists in an institution that is an affront to democracy is in turn an affront to human decency and to the profession of psychology? Further, when will the APA leadership give up the charade that psychologists at Guantanamo are aiding “national security” rather than participating in a recruitment campaign for terrorists. Even if they want to make an argument about participation in national security aiding the public good, the argument is completely fallacious because the activities they engage in harm the national security.
Entry Filed under: APA, Guantanamo, Psychology, Rights and Liberties, Social Issues, Terrorism, Torture