House democrats failed to override President Bush’s veto on an anti-torture bill, so torture techniques could continue being used on terror suspects, and perhaps others, in the future.

Follow this link to the original source: "House unable to override Bush’s veto of waterboarding ban"

On March 11, 2008, House democrats failed to garner enough votes to override President Bush’s veto of a bill that would have made it illegal for the CIA to use brutal "interrogation" techniques to extract information from suspected terrorists. The vote was 225 to 188, missing the two-thirds majority needed by 51 votes.

The Army field manual, which is used by the CIA, has banned waterboarding and seven other torture techniques, and the bill, if passed would have forced the CIA and other intelligence agencies go strictly by the manual.

By failing to overturn the veto, it seems that 188 House members agree with President Bush who continues to support the idea that the government should be free to use torture. "I cannot sign into law a bill that would prevent me, and future presidents, from authorizing the CIA to conduct a separate, lawful intelligence program, and from taking all lawful actions necessary to protect Americans from attack," he said.

In any case, there is nothing "lawful" or intelligent or "necessary" about waterboarding or any other torture techniques. And torture simply cannot "protect America from attacks." The techniques are inhumane and immoral, and totally ineffective, but must somehow satisfy some primal instinct of lower human nature, or they wouldn’t be so popular with so many.

The fact is, America should be above the various and sundry barbarities, torture included, that seem to delight certain instincts in some. It is important, therefore, to know who amongst our legislators supports such uncivilized behavior so that, come next election, citizens who favor civilized behavior can vote accordingly.