Guantanamo Bay

Can we talk about Guantanamo Bay a bit?

I have never understood this controversy over Guantanamo Bay. Of all the issues out there that I could waste my time pondering about, Guantanamo Bay comes in even below global climate change.

What exactly is the big deal anyway? I hear that now they are moving people from Guantanamo to Iowa or some where. What is the difference? Prison is prison. Can someone explain to me why anything relating to Guantanamo is even news worthy? Every time I hear the president even mention Guantanamo, I think that he might as well be reporting on his efforts to close a local McDonalds, because I care about that much about Guantanamo Bay.

I just feel like there are literally 100's of other government programs that could be ended that would have a more positive and tangible effect on the American people than Guantanamo Bay.

That's pretty much what I thought, but I don't even understand what the people who follow this news want. I get that people want it closed, but why?

Some people want Guantanamo closed because there have been reports of prisoner abuse, and that could ruin our "image" in the worlds' eye. No mention is made of why they are prisoners or how many American's they have killed, but I guess the details are too much for some.

My personal opinion. Guantanemo holds the bad of the bad off of CONUS American soil. It's costs over $100K PER INAMTE a year (medical, food, etc). A Bullet costs 2 cents... a baseball bat is free... you do the math.

Same thing for people on welfare. Get rid of welfare and save BILLIONS of dollars a year. If they turn to crime, kill 'em. If they "can't" find a job, then they deserve to starve until they do. (Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the different charities out there, there is no reason for someone to starve in America, it just takes a little motivation). People wouldn't complain that immigrants are taking all the jobs that Americans won't work, etc... Dear lord, don't get me started.... grrr

The problem is that events in Guantanamo fall in a legal loop hole. It's sovereign territory of a communist nation with which we have no direct diplomatic ties. Things that happen there (torture) wouldn't automatically fall under the laws of the United States. This is why the military set up the base there... it was built in just a few weeks out of chain link, plywood, and razor wire.

When taken to the extreme, the debate comes down to" do you believe the US is better served by taking any action to safeguard it's citizens in the short term (torture, assassinate, invade); or take the moral "high road" and be seen as justified in the eyes of the wider world.

I think the real problem is that too many people deal in absolutes. A population of 350m people living in a free society cannot be entirely free of the threat of terrorism (or other crimes). You have to make smart choices that mitigate it -- to operate in the grey between these absolutes.

I first heard about Guantanamo Bay during the whole Patriot Act uproar a few years ago. Is that about right? I assume the G Bay has been around for a while, but it was largely under the radar until 9/11 and the Patriot Act stuff?

It's what Obama calls a "win-win". Starts to deliver on a campaign promise and kisses ass of the leaders of our enemies.

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like I pretty much had the gist of it, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

I am a little confused about us having and using property in Cuba though. What kind of message does that send that we can't trade with them, but we like them enough store our trash at their house.