> Torture is terrible thing to do - worse in many cases than killing them.
War is a terrible thing to do. Driving aeroplanes into the side of the World Trade Center is a terrible thing to do. Slamming an aeroplane into the Pentagon is a terrible thing to do. Driving an aeroplane into a Pennsylvania field is a terrible thing to do. Sawing off people’s heads with dull knives on TV is a terrible thing to do. Blowing up trains during rush hour is a terrible thing to do...
So where does it stop, and where does it begin? At what point is the Enemy going to respect human rights at least as much as we do?
This particular enemy doesn’t, and won’t.
In that context, then, waterboarding the Enemy is a mild, measured and polite response that is well within the confines of moral justifiability.
>>War is a terrible thing to do. Driving aeroplanes into the side of the World Trade Center is a terrible thing to do. Slamming an aeroplane into the Pentagon is a terrible thing to do. Driving an aeroplane into a Pennsylvania field is a terrible thing to do. Sawing off people’s heads with dull knives on TV is a terrible thing to do. Blowing up trains during rush hour is a terrible thing to do...
So where does it stop, and where does it begin? At what point is the Enemy going to respect human rights at least as much as we do?
This particular enemy doesn’t, and won’t.
In that context, then, waterboarding the Enemy is a mild, measured and polite response that is well within the confines of moral justifiability.<<
Generally I support the death penalty for pretty much any terrorist action that results in a death... and support it strongly for the examples you list.
But we don’t give somebody the death penalty in secret and without carefully justifying it. I’m arguing the standard for torture should be rigorous and also subject to justification of an imminent saving of life.
“So where does it stop, and where does it begin? At what point is the Enemy going to respect human rights at least as much as we do?”
This scenario is eventually going to end with some atoms being split.
I’m with DieHard on this one.
As Christians, I believe it is our DUTY to do whatever needs to be done in order to thwart the plans of evil people whose mantra is “First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people”.
I guess I am not “intelligent, conservative, or Christian”, because I believe we are responsible to protect innocent people. These jihadists are wringing their hands with delight when we come after our own governments for doing what they have to do to protect us.
People like you must go ballistic when we actually kill the enemy - those who would gladly slit your throat, given the chance.