First on were Mascot Fight. They seem more relaxed and into the music every time I see them. Great pop songs, fun and happiness!
Next was Voluntary Butler Scheme. He did a set of loops but in a very pop song way, like a mix of Jens Lekman and Harry Nilsson. Wonderful singing voice too.
Last on were Brakes. They played a hugely energetic but seemingly effortless set. And it was quite bizarre to see the way they switched from countryness to punky aggression with barely a breath. Lovely!
Click any of the pics to see galleries of the bands. 🙂
US President Barack Obama says CIA agents who used harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects during the Bush era will not be prosecuted.
Rights groups have criticised his decision to protect CIA agents involved in the interrogation procedures.
Amnesty International said the Department of Justice appeared to be offering a “get-out-of-jail-free card” to individuals who were involved in acts of torture.
(Source: BBC News)
At the same time as saying that the US won’t use torture in future interrogations, Obama lets the torturers off scot-free.
Another victim of USA-style freedom and democracy, i.e. kidnap and torture
Secondly, it makes torture in the future fine too. If Obama had done the right thing and started criminal proceedings against these criminals, maybe in the future, when Americans were about to torture more innocents, they would have thought twice. Their self-interest might have whispered to them, “Hold on – if I torture this 14-year-old boy we’ve kidnapped from Iraq, maybe, one day, I’ll get arrested for this war crime.”
But now…
Now, torturers will assume any future US government will cover up their crimes in exactly the same way that Obama is now.
Obama’s message is simple: the USA approves of all the torture it’s carried out at Guantanamo and will torture people in the future as and when it deems it necessary.
