Standard Deviation

Much ado about the Geneva Convention(s) being applied to the Gitmo guys as though these "sanctified conventions" reflect a moral standard that exceeds that of the U.S.

This entire obsession with so-called (alleged) torture (let's be real about this) at Gitmo is a reflection of a much reclined, soft, self-absorbed, wealthy peoples who have way too much time on their hands and not enough real life experience and encounters with not-so-nice people to know what torture is. (And doesn't it really come down to what "is" is?)

In America, you can be slapped and slandered with sexual harassment charges if you put your hand on the shoulder of a female/male employee or merely touch their arm. Most likely, there's nothing sexual or harassing about it, but NO TOUCHING ALLOWED (let's not EVEN broach the subject of "verbal abuse/harassment"). Now, does that reflect the "truth" of the matter-- real harassment? Likely not. But that's where we are now. A standard in which all degrees become a baseline zero sum.

UN STANDARD
Same is true with the "United" Nations as though the standard of morality, fairness, legality, humanity and so forth emanates from this hallowed body.

Sure... Few words for ya: Rwanda, Zimbabwe, China (Tibet), Haiti, Liberia, Sudan, Pakistan, Israel (Palestine), Congo, East Timor, Iraq and on and on and on. Does the US want these countries to determine a moral "standard" that all should follow and should the US be obliged to adhere?

The UN serves a purpose, but let's get serious about what that purpose is and how ineffective they really are as a world "body" in matters that require a serious approach, action and follow-through, not a bunch of hollow threats in the form of strongly worded memos, declarations and "resolutions" that don't "resolve" anything.

It's so much easier to point the finger at good ol' USA for a number of reasons:

1: We're an easy, soft target and have tremendous achievers-guilt/shame PLUS we think we're better than everyone and therefore should be held to different standards than the dictators and fascists that make up a healthy % of the world body
2: If the US obliges the UN body, which it often does, it reflects well on the UN--they feel powerful and effective--they've slapped down the Giant, it seems like they're actually accomplishing something and worth the $billions poured into the UN each year
3: No repercussions for criticizing the US; the US wants the love, needs the approval (the US a country of sycophants)
4: Focus on the easy trumped-up issues; making them the central problem diverts attention from really dire situations that require fast, efficient action and results (Congo, Rwanda, Sudan)

Fixating on America is like fixating on celebrity. It's shallow and superficial and accomplishes nothing, especially when there are much more important issues at hand. America has its problems, no doubt. But putting so much focus on America's shortcomings shortchanges those countries and the people therein that really need some attention and action paid to them.