Posted on 12/19/2005 9:06:16 AM PST by owen_osh
CAMBRIDGE, England
One nasty morning Comrade Stalin discovered that his favorite pipe was missing. Naturally, he called in his henchman, Lavrenti Beria, and instructed him to find the pipe. A few hours later, Stalin found it in his desk and called off the search. "But, Comrade Stalin," stammered Beria, "five suspects have already confessed to stealing it."
This joke, whispered among those who trusted each other when I was a kid in Moscow in the 1950s, is perhaps the best contribution I can make to the current argument in Washington about legislation banning torture and inhumane treatment of suspected terrorists captured abroad. Now that President Bush has made a public show of endorsing Sen. John McCain's amendment, it would seem that the debate is ending. But that the debate occurred at all, and that prominent figures are willing to entertain the idea, is perplexing and alarming to me. I have seen what happens to a society that becomes enamored of such methods in its quest for greater security; it takes more than words and political compromise to beat back the impulse.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
This is an interesting article. Read the whole thing.
Pro torture?
I'm not in favor of torture.
But I also disagree with revealing to al Qaeda what interrogation techniques will not be used on their captives. That would be like telling Hitler prior to D-Day what beaches he didn't need to defend.
The political discussion over torture should have been done quietly and behind the scenes, in a wartime context, instead of as a way to score political points.
Torture has many, many bad qualities and uses. But one reason it has been used since the beginning of time is it can be effective at extracting good information.
I'm in favor of torture, or any other treatment or procedure that's effective. If it's not effective, then I'm not for it.
Having said that, the U.S already had laws against torture. If we feel torture will work against someone out there, and if the situation warrants, I'm sure we'll find a way to keep it under the radar.
What's the point. You have alrady labeled those who disagree as pro-torture. It's like saying that those who support war do not love peace.
There may well be. I am not one of them.
However, I also disagree with the McCain amendment. Strongly. For these reasons:
Every detainee and prisoner of war will want a lawyer and a trial. Care to hazard a guess at how that will affect our ability to win the war?
I think the author of the article would disagree with you. I think he would say that torture has been used since the beginning of time because people are lazy.
I am against all toruture and granting of rights to secret police that they promise never to misuse.
Had Govt. NOT allowed people on 'Terror Watchlist' to enter the country (why would you let anyone who you suspect is a terrorist to enter the country anyway), 9/11 would not have happenned.
There is a strong possibility that Hitlary Klionton would be next Commander in Chief. She views conservatives to be just as dangerous to the world as any terrorist.
Bubba used the Govt. agencies to spy and destroy many Conservatives. Now that they have extended powers, it should make their job even easier.
It's not so much a question of feelings vs. intellect as it is principles vs. laziness.
Do principles not matter anymore?
So much for the shining city on a hill...
Sure it can be used by incompetent torturers, used from laziness, used merely to terrorize the population, used to extract untrue confessions. There are a lot of faults with it as I said.
But it can be used to get good information- and always has.
Notice even McCain admits it can, and should be used. You know it would work on you, and I know it would work on me.
If you can't tell an emotion-based argument from a logical one- and recognize an unsupported conclusion- perhaps you should transfer to a liberal arts major.
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