The Taxi to the Dark Side is a documentary that focuses on the killing of an Afghan taxi driver by the name of Dilawar. As such, there has been a special focus on USA torture policy. The documentary establishes that the responsibility for the death of this young man lies on the Bush administration and the Military high command. However, the paper will focus on three characters and their political ideologies as reflected in the documentary. The characters include Captain Carolyn Wood, John Yoon, and Senator Carl Levin.
Captain Carolyn Wood was in charge of interrogations on where Dilawar was murdered. It is in the Guantanamo Bay where the illegal methods were carried out. The officer-in-charge was awarded a Bronze Star for the USA invasion of Iraq and for valor. It is Captain Carolyn Wood who helped establish a sadistic and brutal regime at Abu Ghraib. There is footage in the documentary that was censured by USA authorities pointing out that while reservists Charles Graner and Lynndie England were imprisoned as a result of the torture they were responding to orders from above.
John Yoo represents the Department of Justice, and he redefines torture as an extreme act that could result not only in the failure of the organ but also in its death. In his explanation, he indicates that the US president should not be limited in authorizing torture as well as measures to be taken against those captured in the war against terror.
Another interesting character in the documentary is Democratic Senator Carl Levin. The senator challenges Alberto Gonzales who is a former USA attorney general who is attempting to justify the torture. However, the opposition by a senator is not necessarily based on militarism or imperialist war. He argues that torture discredits the war on terror. In this case, he supports President Bush’s veto that prohibits the CIA from using degrading techniques, cruel and water-boarding during interrogations.
Works Cited
“Taxi To The Dark Side (2007 Documentary).” Youtube, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBX325pm85I.
