So It's to be Torture, then

Good 'ol Hollywood style.

The good guy has defeated the badguy. But the bad guy has done things so horrible, that the good guy is ready to commit a horrible deed against the bad guy.

But then, the good guy's friend pleads for the good guy to stop. And the phrase is always the same -
"If you do this, you're no better than them!"

The good guy stops, realizes their friend is right, and spares the bad guy. Crisis averted. The hero has taken the moral high ground.

It's a shame that the President doesn't have that same friend pleading with him.

In the past weeks, debate has arisen over interrogation methods that have been used on terror suspects. Alleged methods used on suspects include electric shock and "waterboarding," which is used to make the person believe they are drowning.

Bush & Co. say that these methods have helped avert terrorist attacks. Others say that such methods verge on torture and violate the Geneva Convention.

The President appeared on The Today Show, interviewing with host Matt Lauer. Lauer asked Bush about the secret detention facilities and the interrogation of suspects. He asked if Bush believed the interrogation of suspects was "within the law," why interrogate them at a secret facility? Bush dodged the question, and said,

I'm not going to talk about techniques. And, I'm not going explain to the enemy what we're doing. All I'm telling you is that you've asked me whether or not we're doing things to protect the American people, and I want the American people to know we are doing so.

He also didn't talk about techniques because he doesn't want the enemy to "adapt" to them.

First of all, I'm not sure how an enemy is going to "adapt" to certain interrogation methods. As Jon Stewart joked, how are they going to adapt to waterboarding? By growing gills?

And second, I know things are being done to protect the American people. I and every American owe a great debt of gratitude to the U.S. Armed Forces. One that can probably never be repaid. They go out there and put their own lives on the line to protect the American way of life.

But all be damned if I'm going to have someone tortured in my name, or in the name of my freedom. I've read some stories of suspects and their treatment. Some were only suspects, and never proven to be terrorists. One can only take so much abuse before saying what you want them to say. Interrogating a few people isn't what is making me safer.

Bush is also asking for 'clarification' on the Geneva Conventions, and pleading members of Congress to help pass laws that will help him get away with this crap. Members of his own party are fighting him on it, including his former Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Among the arguments against the policies are that they add to the doubts the rest of the world has about the United States, and will harm our military overseas.

And you know what, he's right. Several cultures overseas view America as the "great Satan" and view our country with great ire. By going and doing morally questionable things, this view of our country only stands to get worse. There are people out there that believe Bush's actions against terrorism have only made us more of a target instead of less of one.

Don't get me wrong. There needs to be a stop to any and all terrorist activity. If a known terrorist is caught, then he/she should be punished to the full extent of the law. Notice the last part of that: OF THE LAW.

By committing these morally questionable things in the fight against terror, we are becoming no better than the terrorists themselves. Those friends - the ones that say "by doing this you're no better than them" are there - the Bush administration simply isn't listening to them. This is one Hollywood ending where the hero won't be a hero by the end.