Inapt Comparison
In a speech where he said the U.S. needs to be more proactive in countering anti-American PR from Muslim extremists, Donald Rumsfeld "lamented that vast media attention about U.S. abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq outweighed that given to the discovery of 'Saddam Hussein's mass graves.'" Bad example to use. While I don't agree with the bulk of what Rumsfeld said - good U.S. PR can't undo years of anti-American rhetoric that Muslims are exposed to - this thought especially disturbs me. Hussein's mass executions are human rights abominations, don't get me wrong, but he's a dictator who was already known for his brutally repressive tactics. The U.S. should be held to a higher standard. We are a Democracy, though in the world of Bush that's somewhat debatable these days, that is scrupulous about promoting human rights and protecting the rights of its citizens, even those in jail for crimes. More is expected of us, and it's bound to be news when we cross the line by abusing prisoners. Rumsfeld shouldn't be an apologist for what happened in Abu Ghraib by drawing a comparison to Hussein. We are better than Hussein.