Land of the incarcerated, home of the tortured.

The United States of America does not have a clean record. We torture, and we set up conditions under which torture is more likely.

Alas, the raw report from the Committee on Torture fails to provide more specific details than the press release, though Amnesty International, as one might expect, provides some details.

I am particularly shocked by the size of our prison population---over two million!---and our execution of juvenile offenders:

"As the USA is virtually the sole remaining country executing juvenile offenders -- in flagrant violation of international law -- it is important that the USA is challenged on the world stage about this practice at every available opportunity," Amnesty International said, noting that another juvenile offender is scheduled to be put to death on 22 June.

But this is just part of our general arrogance with regard to international law, and to general accountability for our actions. For a country founded on the idea of rule of law, and enshrined protections for human rights, we are strangely reluctant to extend, systematize, and enforce such measures.

It reminds me of a statue in North Carolina (fortunately repealed some five or six years back), which made it a sufficient defense against the charge of rape that the man was married to the woman, and they were not separated with intent to divorce. That is, legally speaking, it was impossible to rape your wife. For me, this was an absolute barrier to getting married. When discussing this one day with a group of acquaintances, one fellow asked: "Well, I don't see why this should be an issue. Just don't rape your wife."

Of course, that is simply not the issue. One shouldn't have the right to rape; merely refraining from exercising that right isn't sufficient. The master who refrains from beating, raping, starving, or maiming his slaves may be a "good" master, but he remains a slaveholder. To be a slaveholder is a wrong sufficent unto itself.

So what does the U.S. have to fear from stronger laws against torture? If the various U.S. governments intend not to torture the populace, why would they object to being forbidden to do so?

And if we can be brutal toward our own citizenry, why would we act any better toward people in the rest of the world?

Who benefits from this lack of acknowledged and enforced restraint?