America's Worst Congressman

David Lindsay

What sort of society even needs to discuss this?

The sort of society rejected by Americans at the polls last year.

Not the sort of society thus chosen by them.

Fred J harris

Relax, unbunch your knickers, there is a lot of cruelty in the world, making a bunch of pathetic Arabs run around with panties on their heads isn't it.
Americans don't torture, never have probably never will. Arabs torture. See if you can remember that.

Anthony

I KNEW it would be Peter King!

He's the gift that keeps on giving. But in a bad way.

Richard

Learn what torture is, Mr Massie. You calling this torture only lessens the meaning of that work when genuinely vicious regimes actually torture.

Watch this video and you might understand where your misuse of the word originates. It originates in a political ideology far more evil than anything America has ever been even accused of, let alone the truth.

Mr Lindsay

US policy has not since last year (the policy change no longer to use waterboarding happened under Bush), but all societies should discuss this. The ones that don't are the ones which use real torture.

Martin

Of course, if the IRA set a bomb off in New York or Tel Aviv, I'm sure the likes of King would think differently.

Howard

Peter King is my congressman, and somehow he keeps getting re-elected. It's like no one even tries to unseat him; last year they had a 25-year-old kid run against him. What an embarrassing joke.

Fergus Pickering

Well of course Americans torture. And so do Brits. But Arabs do it MUCH MORE OFTEN. Am I allowed to say that?

Justice.

Like you i disagree with 90% of what King says but i think he does have a point: Why should the Geneva conventions apply to terrorists? First off one has to have signed the Conventions to be allowed the rights of the Conventions, seeing as the terrorist have not, why should they be allowed the rights? Also, you have to follow the rules of the Conventions to qualify for treatment by them. The Conventions state that enemy soldiers have to wear a uniform that distinguishes them from civilians, most terrorists do not, thus don't qualify. The Geneva Conventions also have rules on how to surrender, which, as evidenced by the above, terrorists don't follow. I've heard too many stories about US soldiers coming out from safe positions to collect enemy that are surrendering only to have the enemy pick up their weapons and fire back. I believe the Golden Rule states: do unto others as you would have them do to you. If the terrorists don't follow the rules why should we grant them anything?

T.A.

I apologize to the world on behalf of all the people who are represented by this asshat. I voted for the 25 year old, by the way...

Dan Friedman

Peter King is a great Congressman - and my Congressman. And what's with that piece of shag carpet you keep on your head?

Bobby Whiteman

This blowhard speaks for the right wing lunatic fringe in our nation. His pie hole is sullied by hypocrisy and ignorance, and his kind were beaten badly at the polls last year. Worse, however, is the fact that people like King, Palin, Bush & Family, Grassley and more fanatical right wingers would gladly welcome a third world war if they had their choice. Why do you think they've put no money into protecting America's ports and shores. They want to remake the world in the Christian image, and they want unilateral war no matter the cost to our nation and our allies. They believe the worst in people who do not worship at the alter they do. They need to go away...forever.

Laurence

Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Jim McDermott, John Conyers, Dennis Kucinich, Henry Waxman, David Obey, Charlie Rangel, John Murtha, Maxine Waters, Steny Hoyer, Alcie Hastings...... The list of names in the competition for the most disgraceful member of Congress is, sadly, a very long and undistinguished one populated by a seemingly endless number of brainless fools. But, lest we forget, King is a Republican and that, of course, makes him the worst of the lot. How the true torturers of this world must laugh at what upsets our delicate sensibilities.

Alf Tupper

This is the slackest piece of yours I've read yet Doc.

Once again you've fallen in with the likes of the BBC, in recognising no distinction between threats and actions. I could sit there all day listening to threats.

Not one of the voices complaining of 'torture', ever had his knees drilled; none of their family members were harmed; none of the 'executions' audible in the next cell, amounted to anyone being executed. They all lived to tell the tale (and to pursue the case for damages).

This is no more than harsh treatment. Or is that beyond the bounds? Honestly, what is allowable in your view, when handling suspected terrorists? How are we to get information from them? Or is that simply not to be attempted?

Good for some though: just think of all the legal rep's who get to make a living out of this. And the news space easily filled by lazy, irresponsible reporters

All of it, part of the war effort to drain the West.

Grassmarket

Agree with Alf Tupper's comments there. No torture was ever applied to any Al-Qaeda operative. The reason why the threats to kill them, drill them or kill their families worked was because that was precisely what the Al-Q members do when the situation is reversed. In other words, the interrogations worked because they played precisely on the greatest weakness of Al-Qaeda - the bigoted, ignorant and psychopathic nature of its devotees.

tmv

I'm not sure whether it's depressing or somehow heartening to know that your country also has its share of pro-torture monsters, as exhibited by various commenters here. Oh, who am I kidding -- it's depressing. But at least my country doesn't have all the depraved authoritarians out there, though it sometimes feels that way lately.

The idea that being threatened with a power drill isn't torture is one of the most entertaining conceits I've encountered. Good luck convincing people of that one. I find "threatened with a power drill" tends to settle in normal people's minds as something rather uniquely horrific.