A cage fight on the White House lawn, celebrating a US president’s 80th birthday, was bad enough.
asserted
fight → celebrate → birthday
It was crass mass entertainment that debased the office of the president and the dignity of the historic location.
asserted
that → debase → location
But the proposed livestream execution of an army officer convicted over a mass shooting at the Fort Hood army base in 2009 – announced by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth – is much, much worse.
asserted
execution → propose → Hegseth
American adults, and their children, will see a man shot to death by firing squad if this event goes ahead.
asserted
event → see → squad
Australian children, despite our government’s efforts to restrict online access, might see it too.
uncertain
children → restrict → it
Livestreaming an execution is the stuff of a medieval town square, grotesque theatre dressed up as retributive justice and deterrence.
asserted
Livestreaming → livestreame → justice
Only repressive regimes such as Iran still resort to such barbaric displays.
asserted
regimes → resort → displays
What is America coming to?
asserted
America → come → What
The US is a nation forged in the violence of slavery and civil war, yes.
asserted
US → forge → slavery
US moral authority and purpose is lost by mimicking the methods of terrorist opponents.
asserted
authority → lose → opponents
I was living in the US when the Fort Hood massacre happened and covered the event as a journalist.
asserted
massacre → live → journalist
Nidal Malik Hasan, the US army major who ran amok at Fort Hood in Texas on that dreadful day in November 2009, killed 13 fellow soldiers and wounded 32 others.
asserted
who → run → others
As I wrote at the time, Major Hasan was a doctor, supposedly dedicated to saving life.
asserted
Hasan → write → life
He’d treated many patients suffering post-traumatic stress disorder from combat.
asserted
He → treat → combat
There were a few warning signs, perhaps difficult for Hasan’s military superiors to detect or judge as to their seriousness.
asserted
superiors → be → seriousness
Hasan had personal problems after some past bullying.
asserted
Hasan → have → bullying
More disturbingly, he was attracted to radical Islam and had made some threatening internet posts anonymously.
asserted
he → attract → posts
After the shooting, Americans were deeply shocked that an officer would turn his gun on other service men and women.
asserted
officer → shock → men
I have no sympathy for Hasan, nor his fate, considering his violence that took the lives of so many.
asserted
that → have → many
I also don’t support the death penalty.
asserted
I → support → penalty
It has been agreed policy of Australia’s major political parties for decades to oppose capital punishment, while endorsing life imprisonment for the worst of crimes.
asserted
It → agree → crimes
The US retains the death penalty in some states as punishment for capital crimes.
asserted
US → retain → crimes
We saw an example last week with the botched execution of Christa Pike.
asserted
We → see → Pike
She survived a lethal injection execution that was meant to be punishment for murdering a classmate in Tennessee more than 30 years ago.
asserted
that → survive → Tennessee
The Christa Pike case shows how things can go badly wrong.
asserted
things → show → ?
In Hasan’s case, his killing spree ended when Fort Hood defenders shot him.
asserted
defenders → end → him
He survived but was paralysed from the waist down.
asserted
He → survive → down
He has been confined to a wheelchair in his jail cell since 2009.
asserted
He → confine → 2009
One of the perverse questions raised about the livestream execution backed by President Donald Trump’s man at the Pentagon is whether Hasan would be standing up, or sitting down, when facing his firing squad.
asserted
Hasan → raise → squad
Hasan can’t stand up.
asserted
Hasan → stand → ?
He would need to be forcibly strapped to a post, with no leg muscles to hold him up when the firing squad did its work.
asserted
squad → need → work
Trump’s initial response to Hegseth’s invitation to US citizens en masse to witness a man shot to death was mixed. “I really don’t care how he goes, as long as he goes,” he said.
asserted
he → witness → death
Trump signed Hasan’s execution order last week.
asserted
Trump → sign → order
A senior White House official was reported saying that Trump “doesn’t oppose the idea” of livestreaming, while indicating that the US president did not take credit for that decision.
asserted
president → report → decision
Obliquely, Trump said after the Hegseth announcement: “Well, they’re making their determination.”
asserted
they → say → determination
Didn’t “they” make it already?
asserted
they → make → it
Trump’s comment conveniently sidestepped personal responsibility and gave him room to veto the idea.
asserted
comment → sidestep → idea
He doesn’t take advice.
asserted
He → take → advice
The White House official quoted earlier said Trump’s position “is not yet final and he could change his mind”.
uncertain
he → quote → mind
Trump’s hand-picked White House circle usually needs his nod to do anything.
asserted
circle → pick → anything
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
