Obama hides the true negligence and injustice of protecting those who have committed war crimes behind flowery language, behind touching calls for "unity" and "looking to the future." He frames the issue as if allowing war criminals to never see justice will make America the 'bigger man,' so to speak, as though it is the more magnanimous, compassionate thing to do.
In truth, it is becoming clear that Obama's new job is not to bring justice or change, but to act as a more poetic and charismatic face of the American empire.
Obama's letter explaining his stance on the torture memos doesn't seek to unify us behind justice, it seeks to unify us behind silence - to pacify the anger of an American public who should rightfully demand that war crimes not be forgotten when they are done in our name.
Read up on it here:
David Bromwich, Professor of Literature at Yale, examining Obama's response to the torture memos:
"Expedience and the Torture Amnesty" For more:
"Opposition Grows To Obama's Decision Not To Prosecute CIA Agents"