The difference is that the prisoners in the Gulag were merely helping to achieve a socialist workers paradise, even though they were the "broken eggs", while the Gitmo prisoners were captives of a cruel capitalist society that is bringing democracy to Iraq and Afghanistan, freeing women from burkhas and men from beards. (not to mention getting rid of landmines in Afghanistan). Therefore Gitmo must be worse.

Reading assignment for Amnesty International (and any other entity prone to the "gulag" meme): The Gulag Archipelago, volumes 1, 2 and 3.

Bill you should have cited that "Guardian Exclusive" from last year as well. It was this interview they conducted with a recently released GITMO detainee who detailed his appalling treatment at the hands of the infidels. He described how the American guards put a stereo in his cell and played Matchbox 20 and Backstreet Boys CD's and other infidel abominations, much to his displeasure. He also noted that when he was taking a shower sometimes the water would go cold and he was convinced that the Americans were behind it.

The best part was that the idiots from the Guardian just nodded along the whole time in commiseration for his "appalling" treatment.

It was the funniest thing I have ever read in a newspaper.

I tried to get the article off the Guardian's website but it was deleted. Here's a little blurb from Tim Blair:

A military intelligence officer brought a ghetto blaster into his room. He put it on the floor in the corner. He said, "Here's a great girl band doing Fleetwood Mac songs."

He didn't blast the CD at Jamal. This wasn't sleep-deprivation, and it wasn't an attempt to induce the Bucha Effect. Instead, the agent simply put it on at normal volume.

"He put it on," said Jamal, "and he left."

"An all-girl Fleetwood Mac covers band?" I said.

"Yeah," said Jamal.

Someone call Andrew Sullivan.

Ha!

As long as it wasn't Menudo.

My fraternity in college "hazed" us by locking us in a room and making us listen to the "They Might Be Giants" song "Istanbul" for a few hours. (or whatever it's titled)

Now, THAT was torture.

I imagine there are prisoners in real prisons here in the US who would like to sign up for the Gitmo Gulag.

Honestly, I think that was part of the problem with AI's report, they took the complainers at their word, but failed to take into account what the non complainers were saying. Maybe AI could benefit from a little common sense.

Where do I sign up for "Club Gitmo" ?

My fraternity in college "hazed" us by locking us in a room and making us listen to the "They Might Be Giants" song

You were in a fraternity getting hazed? I was on the streets getting tear-gassed by the Wayne County Sheriff's Department when we tried to "liberate" South Campus Street.

Sheesh. I'll bet you never had shoulder-length hair and a beard, or anything. No wonder you don't know shit.

But we're not supposed believe anything the detainees say, remember? Oh oh, I see it's ok to believe it when it supports your position. I see.

Makes sense.

mcsey -

You must have missed that last full paragraph that I wrote, seeing as that's not what I said at all. Did you get confused and comment on the wrong blog?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8090656

I was arrested last year on the charge of driving on a revoked license. The charges were dropped in court because it was an admin error that had caused the revocation, but that isn't the point. I was handcuffed and sat in the back of a police care for over an hour in the August heat, with the windows down. Then I was transferred to a paddy wagon where I sat for another two hours locked up like an animal in a cage with five other guys, one of whom had lost control of his bowels, and the rest of whom smelled of stale beer and sweat. I guess it was probably about near 200 degrees Farenheit in there, since it was about as hot as the sauna at my gym.
Once we arrived at the jail we sat handcuffed for four hours while the jailers sat and chatted among themselves. When they uncuffed us, we tried to use the water fountain, which didn't work. The only water was from the sink in the filthy bathroom, and the knob was ripped off the cold, so only hot water was available to drink. The toilet didn't work. There were sack lunches available, but only about five or six for a roomful of guys, so those of us in the back of the room didn't get anything. I think the pigs wanted to watch us fight for food.
There was only one jailer out of about six I counted who was actually processing prisoners, at the rate of about two an hour. I was in jail for seven hours before I could call a bondsman, and four more before I could get released. I watched four cops beat down and pepper a young guy who was brought in drunk but who didn't try to fight or anything, he was just laughing at the cops, so they beat him down in front of us.
We were finally released downtown at 2:00 AM, and told that if we were found loitering we would be rearrested. I was almost in hypoglycemic shock and they told me that if they had to take me to the hospital I would have to remain in custody, so I staggered out into the night, with no money for a taxi, (my wallet had previously contained about $20.00), and my cellphone's battery was dead so I had to walk two miles to the house of one of the guys released with me so I could call my wife, who was hysterical at this point. When I made it home, I was so close to hypoglycemic shock that I started throwing up uncontrollably and couldn't stand up.
I will take military police at Gitmo any day over our civilian police. I hate cops now, by the way, in case anyone was wondering.