1.27.2009

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

It is rather difficult not to become upset while watching this documentary. It exposes the roots of torture used by American forces since the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. From Bagram to Abu Ghraib to Guantanamo, both innocent and guilty prisoners (I refuse to call prisoners "detainees") have suffered humiliation, sensory deprivation, and flat out torture in the name of national security. Incredibly enough, the higher ups in the U.S. government, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gonzales, . . ., have flatly supported such techniques and even won over the American public.


The film centres on and circles around the tragic story of an Afghan taxi driver, Dilawar, who gets picked up and turned over to U.S. forces and imprisoned. He is immediately tortured and interrogated for several days and then dies in custody. His torturers end up taking the fall for the whole military leadership and end up in military prisons themselves.

Watch this film. It won an Oscar!

IMDB

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