Torture is repugnant to any civilized people, and the abuse of power and authority restricts a nation from mutual associations with civilized nations.

On the other hand, a nation which requires her soldiers to comply with the Marquess of Queensberry Rules when taking prisoners only guarantees that no prisoners will be taken alive, a guarantee which extends reciprocally to her own soldiers taken prisoner by the enemy.

Please forgive me for explaining this one more time, but so many people want to misunderstand the truth and to misinterpret the law. To the remnant who still recognize national borders, I apologize for being so repeatedly redundant, over and over, again and again... but, one more time.

In few words, the U.S. Constitution, as amended, does not apply to foreign countries. The Bill of Rights applies to the U.S. armed forces; it does not apply to enemy combatants, in battle or in custody. With some limited and specific exceptions, the U.S. Constitution does not apply during martial law, in the heat of combat, and while waging war.

Anyone who has lived through combat in a "kill-or-be-killed" firefight knows that not even the law of the jungle is a given. In answer to prayer, Divine intervention and miracles occur on battlefields at least as often as on operating tables.

All-out war is one of the two places on earth where there are no rules. Those two places are not the Australian outback and the jungles of Papua New Guinea. There are rules there too, even though Brits and Yanks don't know what the rules are.

All's fair in love and war. Rules are for boxing rings and gentlemen's duels.

When a nation would rather submit to slavery and tyranny than descend into the abyss of uncivilized horrors from demon-possessed despots and barbarians drunk with bloodlust, then that nation has rejected waging war for its survival. It has no stomach for the price of liberty. It only engages in limited conflicts circumscribed by rules of engagement, and in police actions where there is no enemy, but only unruly lawbreakers who must be restrained and punished.

Such were the British Regulars, who lined up for battle, only to be picked off one by one by the Continentals hiding in the woods. History records battle after battle where conventional armies with superior numbers and firepower and seemingly limitless supplies have failed to conquer indigenous guerrillas who simply melt into the morning dew at first light.

Five words limit the scope of the Bill of Rights:

"CONGRESS shall make no LAW respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the RIGHT of the PEOPLE peaceably to assemble, and to petition the GOVERNMENT for a redress of grievances."

Congress: The rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights are only guaranteed to those under U.S. jurisdiction, those legal residents to whom legislation passed by Congress applies.

Law: The rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights are only guaranteed according to law, not by force of might, not by mob rule, and not by a respect for fairness, a heart of compassion, or a sense of outrage at injustice.

Right: The freedoms guaranteed to the American people by law are only those endowed by God and nature, in the absence of human regulation, as opposed to "rights" which do not exist in nature, such as redistribution of wealth or tolerance for offensive conduct.

People: The rights endowed by the Creator and guaranteed by law in the Amendments to the Constitution are only for "We the People," not for organizations, corporations, financial accounts, estates, charitable foundations, armies, political parties, churches, media, clubs, orders, family structures, or classes - except as they apply on behalf of the individuals in such groups.

Government: The rights endowed by the Creator and guaranteed to the people by law in the Amendments are only such as are within the power of the government, not those which require stretching the definition of government, jurisdiction, potency, or responsibility. For example, no persons are guaranteed gunboat diplomacy by the government in order to recover private investments nationalized within a foreign country or seized by pirates on the high seas. It is a good thing that the government does use diplomacy in such cases, but there is no right to such government intervention, as western mothers who have lost custody of their daughters in Saudi Arabia have learned to their horror.

That's just my opinion.