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Sowell: Tortured Reasoning
Creators Syndicate ^ | December 16, 2014 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 12/15/2014 11:41:11 AM PST by jazusamo

Critics and defenders of the harsh interrogation methods applied to captured terrorists can argue forever over whether those methods were "torture." But any serious discussion of a serious issue — and surely terrorism qualifies as serious — has to move beyond semantics and confront the ultimate question: "Compared to what alternative?"

If you knew that there was a hidden nuclear time bomb planted somewhere in New York City — set to go off today — and you had a captured terrorist who knew where and when, would you not do anything whatever to make him tell you where and when? Would you pause to look up the definition of "torture"? Would you even care what the definition of "torture" was, when the alternative was seeing millions of innocent people murdered?

Senator Dianne Feinstein's recent release of a massive report on the CIA's severe interrogation methods, used against captured Islamic terrorists, has set off a firestorm of controversy. It is hard to see what benefit the United States of America gains from releasing that report. But it is painfully obvious what lasting damage has been done to the security of Americans.

One of the most obscene acts of the Obama administration, when it first took office, was to launch a criminal investigation of CIA agents who had used harsh interrogation methods against captured terrorists in the wake of the devastating September 11, 2001 aerial attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Right after those terrorist attacks, when there were desperate fears of what might be coming next, these CIA agents were trying to spare fellow Americans another attack that could take thousands more lives, or perhaps millions more...

(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cia; feinstein; obama; senatereport; sowell; terrorism; thomassowell; torture
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1 posted on 12/15/2014 11:41:11 AM PST by jazusamo
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To: abigail2; Amalie; American Quilter; arthurus; awelliott; Bahbah; bamahead; Battle Axe; ...
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2 posted on 12/15/2014 11:43:22 AM PST by jazusamo (0bama to go 'full-Mussolini' after elections: Mark Levin)
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To: jazusamo

” The public’s “right to know” has often been invoked to justify publicizing confidential information. But is there any evidence that the American public was clamoring to learn state secrets, which every government has? I don’t know where our nuclear weapons are located and I don’t want to know, certainly not at the cost of letting our enemies know.”

Of course, the “right to know” is not what the left wants. They want to demoralize, and thus destabilize, our police and military. The end result is to hurt recruitment of good people as well. Pure evil. That is all this is about.


3 posted on 12/15/2014 11:47:11 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (The only people in the world who fear Obama are American citizens.)
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To: jazusamo

“If you knew that there was a hidden nuclear time bomb planted somewhere in New York City — set to go off today — and you had a captured terrorist who knew where and when, would you not do anything whatever to make him tell you where and when? “

And that is the basic end of it, Liberals would allow thousands to die so as not to “offend” someone who wants us dead.


4 posted on 12/15/2014 11:50:21 AM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: Darksheare

BUMP


5 posted on 12/15/2014 11:51:34 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker (The only people in the world who fear Obama are American citizens.)
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To: stephenjohnbanker

Agreed...Pure evil in this case fits DiFi perfectly, there was nothing to be gained and much we may lose from the release of their lying report.


6 posted on 12/15/2014 11:54:33 AM PST by jazusamo (0bama to go 'full-Mussolini' after elections: Mark Levin)
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To: Darksheare

You’re absolutely right.


7 posted on 12/15/2014 11:55:28 AM PST by jazusamo (0bama to go 'full-Mussolini' after elections: Mark Levin)
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To: jazusamo
"Compared to what alternative?"

Sowell can simplify a complex issue like no one else can.

8 posted on 12/15/2014 11:58:36 AM PST by oldbrowser (We have a rogue government in Washington)
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To: jazusamo

Wish I wasn’t.
But..


9 posted on 12/15/2014 12:02:47 PM PST by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same.)
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To: oldbrowser; jazusamo

” Sowell can simplify a complex issue like no one else can. “

The true sign of intellect.


10 posted on 12/15/2014 12:06:36 PM PST by stephenjohnbanker (The only people in the world who fear Obama are American citizens.)
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To: jazusamo

Hear, hear, Dr. Sowell. We don’t need — and our enemies especially don’t need — to hear how we gather intelligence. If Obama wants to share state secrets with the public, maybe start with his kindergarten transcripts and documents, working slowly up through high school and his college applications and transcripts.

What’s that you say, Mr. President? Those documents would be more shocking to Americans than anal feeding?? Because they would learn that they what? Voted in a guy who wasn’t actually American as their President? Born in a Canadian unwed mothers’ home, to a teen girl too young to confer citizenship? So went to Oxy college paid for by Indonesia as an Indonesian student? Something screwy about the way he got into Harvard? Never had an American passport until he was voted into the Senate, when they conferred one on him even with no birth certificate? Nancy Pelosi knew the whole time and signed off on his state candidate forms to cover for him? Hmmmm. Yeah, back to discussing torture, then.


11 posted on 12/15/2014 12:07:34 PM PST by Yaelle
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To: Darksheare

Put in that position I think the liberals would chuck their anti “torture” philosophy in two seconds, torture whoever they have to and wring their hands about it later.

It’s the after-action hand wringing that differentiates us from them (among other things)


12 posted on 12/15/2014 12:10:32 PM PST by Personal Responsibility (I'd use the /S tag but is it really necessary?)
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To: stephenjohnbanker

If you can’t explain something simply then you don’t understand it well enough - Einstein


13 posted on 12/15/2014 12:11:10 PM PST by Personal Responsibility (I'd use the /S tag but is it really necessary?)
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To: Yaelle

Amen to that.


14 posted on 12/15/2014 12:14:08 PM PST by jazusamo (0bama to go 'full-Mussolini' after elections: Mark Levin)
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To: jazusamo

Liberals argue that, “we have to be better than the enemy”.

The enemy then argues that, “we have to help liberals get elected”.


15 posted on 12/15/2014 12:17:04 PM PST by adorno (a)
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To: jazusamo
If you knew that there was a hidden nuclear time bomb planted somewhere in New York City — set to go off today — and you had a captured terrorist who knew where and when, would you not do anything whatever to make him tell you where and when?

An sane person would say of course. Except the hypocritical libs - they would only say of course if they and their families were at risk.

16 posted on 12/15/2014 12:23:50 PM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: Darksheare

It will take such an event to make a Wiberal a Conservative. Pray that if it were to occur that it happen in a Wiberal bastion. Maybe the gubmint can have pillow fights with the terrorists.


17 posted on 12/15/2014 12:56:23 PM PST by Mean Daddy
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To: jazusamo

Sneaking around with full intent to murder and maim as many as possible, including women, children and the elderly, is an attack on civil society. Given their revolting, immoral intent, the ONLY moral thing to do with them FOR ALL INVOLVED is make sure copycats in waiting know for a fact that if caught, they await a fate that is brutal, excruciating, prolonged, humiliating, and ultimately deadly. They have forfeited all right and standing to demand humane treatment.

Their treatment should acknowledge their potential future victims and be known to be so inhumane and so unimaginably severe as to be a true deterrent. You don’t respect life and humanity if you are unwilling mete out just punishment for truly cruel, depraved and antisocial crimes. For the nature and intent of their crimes, nothing should be out of bounds and should strike petrifying fear among their ranks.


18 posted on 12/15/2014 12:57:45 PM PST by RatRipper
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To: Darksheare

Liberals lie.

They are perfectly happy sacrificing others for their cause. It is something else when it is they who are being sacrificed.


19 posted on 12/15/2014 2:10:11 PM PST by DB
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To: jazusamo
Remember ALCIADUH and Hussein are BOTH CIA critters!

This was just some more purging to cover his path on the way out.

20 posted on 12/15/2014 3:56:33 PM PST by rawcatslyentist (Jeremiah 50:32 "The arrogant one will stumble and fall ; / ?)
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