Sen. Ted Cruz: 'Torture is Wrong. Unambiguously. Period. The End.'

Breitbart ^ | December 10, 2014 | Charlie Spiering

[Bettyprob]

Texas Senator Ted Cruz is reminding Americans that no civilized nation should ever torture prisoners.

“Torture is wrong, unambiguously. Period. The end. Civilized nations do not engage in torture and Congress has rightly acted to make absolutely clear that the United States will not engage in torture,” Cruz said during the Q-and-A portion of a speech at the Heritage Foundation.

[trebb]

Oh Noes! Now we can’t support Ted! /s

LOL! You nailed it.

There are many here, that just from this article, have made that decision and will stick by it; Cruz is unacceptable - they seem to have a death wish for the nation and are acting like the Congress as they make excuses for not taking positive action to salvage the Nation. If half of the "no way, Never, Ain't gonna happen" folks would actually take some positive actions instead of whining about never having just the right opportunity, we might make some actual progress.

[OkiMusashi]

“Torture is wrong.” - Ted Cruz

Thanks for reminding me of a great line, Ted. I needed a laugh.

Luther(Don Knotts)to the girl he has a crush on: I just love good food.
Girl: Me too!
Luther: Really? You know we’re a lot alike! My mother liked good food too....she always said, “I’d rather have good food than bad food any old day.”

[The_Media_never_lie]

Waterboarding is wrong.

So, you are saying water boarding 3 mass murderers to prevent more deaths of Americans, is wrong? Then Di Feinstein must be your hero!

[Hugh the Scot]

yldstrk,
If you visit the Daily KOS or DU, you will find these exact same arguments presented by emotion driven leftists on multiple topics. It’s used in an attempt to force otherwise right-minded people into admitting “exceptions” for aborting children, or some such nonsense… The argument always originates from impotent rage, and the tactic is always the same: Create a ridiculous and contrived scenario to force your opponent into admitting his alleged hypocrisy. Most of their posters follow the same template used here; casting themselves as the John McClane character in Die Hard, then indulging in a masturbatory fantasy about how flexible morality saves the world.
Dictionary.com defines “wrong” as follows: Wrong- unjust, dishonest, or immoral. This isn’t ambiguous.
The other argument we’ve seen is that “We’re the good guys and they’re bad guys, so it’s necessary.” While I might initially support this argument, it’s important to remember WHY we’re the good guys. It’s because we admit that there are moral absolutes, and live by them. It’s because we choose to do what’s right even if it’s the hard choice. The jihadis themselves also use moral ambiguity as a recruiting tool to radicalize otherwise previously sane people.
This impotent rage, this “they do it too” mentality, this “anything goes as long as I don’t suffer any short term losses” attitude, is what kills great nations, great peoples, or great movements.

Dead leftist author and cynic Ambrose Bierce, in his “Devil’s Dictionary” defines IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Maybe that definition appeals to the weak among us. The problem with it always comes down to “Inexpedient for whom?” Sort of like how the definition of torture changes when it’s you that it’s applied to.
I doubt very seriously that any of the amateur Tom Clancys in this thread have ever been exposed to actual torture, or would have the stomach to apply real torture under any circumstances… That’s all just forum posturing.

You apparently understand that the meaning of the word “wrong” is not on a sliding scale based on a particular situation, or on who’s side of the argument it supports. You can share my bunker and provisions. OTOH, some of these supposed conservatives bear close watching.

Ted Cruz gets it. As a nation we must stick to morality in the face of incomprehensible evil, because that’s the only way it can be defeated. Anything less is simply feeding the evil what it thrives and grows on.

I personally am a thoroughly broken vessel, who’s only hope is in the indescribable mercy and grace of almighty God, as expressed through the resurrected and living Word. I’m not a nation-state, or a serving congressman, therefore what I personally might do to rescue a loved one has not one damned thing to do with this discussion.

For that reason, and for the sake of clarity; the only way tomkat, bobby.223, CatherineofAragon, central_va, and Uncle Miltie can ever know the answers to their impertinent and contrived questions is this: Let me discover that you’ve taken one of my loved ones hostage and you’ll find out.

From the point of view of national policy, Cruz' position is unassailable, conservative, and American.

[yldstrk]

I do not like this Democratic regime. I also do not condone torture including waterboarding under any circumstances. In case those of you still cheerleading for waterboarding and worse haven’t gotten through your thick skulls, these methods do not “work”. Nothing of any value was gained and the operatives turned into worse excuses for human beings and Americans than when they started. The release of this damning report may well have been political, but it has been a long time coming.

In the past, our decent treatment of combatants and noncombatants that fell into American hands was our protection, such as it was. That protection is now gone. The damage this wrongheaded, depraved policy has done to this country and its moral fiber is incalculable.

[yldstrk]

Yes, Hugh the Scot, I do understand moral absolutes and torture, including waterboarding, is wrong. I would be proud to share a bunker with you and thank you for the message.

Thank you also for clearly and lucidly stating your arguments and identifying the weaknesses in the arguments of your challengers.

It is never easy swimming against the tide of lemming thought, but it is necessary.

[central_va]

Again you miss the point of how captured SOLDIERS are treated verses captured “enemy combatants” which means terrorist in this case. You are either stupid or have a mental fixation issue. I do not believe anyone torturing or killing a terrorists has to fear judgment from either man nor God. That is my opinion and I am sticking to it. I do not think Our Maker intended for us to walk around on this Earth to be cattle slaughtered by the unbelieving heathen at their will. So keep mooo mooo moooing your way thru life - loser.

[The_Media_never_lie]

In the past, our decent treatment of combatants and noncombatants that fell into American hands was our protection, such as it was. That protection is now gone. The damage this wrongheaded, depraved policy has done to this country and its moral fiber is incalculable.

I respect your idealistic opinions, and you have every right to them. But you are sadly misinformed.

Read about how the Americans treated prisoners on the islands in Asia while fighting the fanatic Bushido warrior cult Japanese. Read about how the Japanese treated American POWs. If our prisoners were better treated, I feel sure that theirs would have faced better treatment. I do not blame the American soldiers at all; they did what they had to do.

Please read history, my kind friend, and then develop your opinion. Don't think with your emotions.

[yldstrk]

We are the good guys, therefore we act like it whether the other side does or not

[yldstrk]

Oh by the way, I do not think with my emotions. I follow the narrow road. I will never be a torturer, you would have to kill me first. I expect Americans to live up to the highest ideals. I know many don’t, but they should.

[The_Reader_David]

I believe I answered that in the last line of my original post. Read the whole thing again.

[SZonian]

Anyone who has one of my loved ones being held hostage with the the real threat of death hanging over them has forfeited their lives...how their lives end is dependent on how quickly they decide to give the information required to save my loved one.

There is a rubicon and terrorists have crossed that rubicon...they get no compassion or quarter from me.

[Hugh the Scot]

Personal attacks are always more persuasive than actually supporting your argument, don't you think? /s

I'm under no obligation to confine my thoughts to your narrow field of view, as you are under no obligation to change your opinion.

You're the one who is forced to mischaracterize the arguements of others and hurl insults because there are a few here who refuse to be cowed by your shouting.

[NFHale]

You fight fire with fire, and you fight to win.

Or - you go home and sit and wait for the animals - that have declared holy war on you, by the way - to come into your country, detonate a bomb in your subway, stadium, or, oh, I don’t know, do something like fly airliners into skyscrapers, or blow up a marathon (Nah... that could NEVER happen!).

So if putting underwear on Achmed’s head, and dunking his face in ice water saves one American kid’s life, well, to me that’s a no-brainer.

How did Orwell put it - people sleep soundly in their beds only because OTHER people are ready to do violence on their behalf?

[redgolum]

For those who support torture, remember that sooner or later they will use it on the domestic population.

[AFret.]

Making that remark is a mistake. Cruz does not have to say anything. It looks like pandering.

If he is running for Prez, he needs to be very careful before he jumpz on the media dem bandwagon regarding a totally partisan report.
____________________________________________________________

At his core, Cruz is no different than any other “elected official”.

[Hugh the Scot]

You'll get no argument from me. I've certainly not made any statements supporting the treating of islamic terrorists with kindness and care. I'm all for killing them. My position has been and continues to be that of Ted Cruz' statement. We don't torture.

That makes some people mad, and confuses some others... What can you do?

yldstrk (I assume) and I will hold to our beliefs, based on what we perceive to be moral and right, no matter how many Freepers respond with the well considered and lucid argument that "Hugh is a doodie head".

[Hugh the Scot]

Pithy and astute.

[OneWingedShark]

Bull, Cruz never just "says things", and he didn't this time.

Most people do; and it would be absolutely foolish to think that things couldn't be edited to make things seem different than what they were.

[NFHale]

Not calling you a “doodie head”, brother. You’re entitled to your belief, opinion, etc.

Was simply stating mine in response to a ping from my Dawg Pound brother.

I think what’s really at issue is the definition of what torture is and isn’t.