Torture Museum (Photo credit: Travis S.)
Does torture work, does it produce actionable information? Some experts contend that it does, some say it does not. Those who say it does not work contend that better information can be obtained by kindness than by torture and pain. Who should we believe?
I think that most of us would trust the answer from the group of experts that supports our preconceived ideas. Certainly I have no desire to torture nor would I want to be tortured. Only a few Americans, that I am aware of, have been tortured. John McCain is one such person, and he opposes torture.
In the final analysis, I believe that it boils down to how we want to be identified as a nation. Do we want to be on a list of those who don’t torture, or do we want to be on the list of history’s villains who did torture: like Saddam’s Iraq, Stalin’s USSR, Hitler’s Germany, Mubarak‘s Egypt, Mao’s China, Zia’s Pakistan, the Spanish Inquisition and so forth. It does come down to morality in the end. And is the US an exceptional nation or are we not?
Related articles
- Afghan child bride’s in-laws sentenced for torture (sacbee.com)
- Let’s “Advance Interogate” Sean Hannity (criticalandpolitical.wordpress.com)
- Ex-CIAer Jose Rodriguez Schools Andrea Mitchell: Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Aren’t Torture (newsbusters.org)
- It’s unbelievable that this guy gets to sell a book instead of being tried. (fueledbyscotch.wordpress.com)
- Conclusion of 3-Year Probe: Torture Didn’t Work (newser.com)
- Torture did not lead us to bin Laden (buffalonews.com)
- Abu Ghraib Torturer Says Detainees are Better Off Than She is [Iraq] (jezebel.com)
