[Petronius]

As a culture, we have traditionally shunned torture. That some of our posters (and liberals like Alan Dershowitz) are second-guessing this stance disturbs me. On what grounds do we consider ourselves better than "them" if this highground is abandoned?

Are you suggesting that given atrocities from past wars we have no moral altitude, or that it scarcely matters what we do now? And I thought I was a cynic . . .

[angkor]

As a culture, we have traditionally shunned torture.

And we still do. There is not a single assertion of fact in the article that torture is being employed.

[mikegi]

On what grounds do we consider ourselves better than "them" if this highground is abandoned?

Because, in this war, we aren't the ones who send suicide bombers to intentionally kill innocent civilians. In fact, we go out of our way to avoid it. Our enemy considers civilians as targets.

Are you suggesting that given atrocities from past wars we have no moral altitude, or that it scarcely matters what we do now? And I thought I was a cynic . . .

No, it's that you seemed to have a misplaced nostalgia for past conflicts.

What is your solution to the problem of preventing future horrible terrorist attacks? We have the people who know what's going to happen in our hands. What do you suggest we do to them in order to extract information on future plans from them? If we pull out some fingernails and get info that prevents another 9/11 (or worse), do you consider that to be immoral?

[ExpandNATO]

On what grounds do we consider ourselves better than "them" if this highground is abandoned?

On grounds of our behavior toward the innocent. They consider the innocent targets, we try to protect the innocent, ours and those caught between us and the Islamists.

Just in case you were wondering their combatants are not innocents.

And another question, why the hell are you fascinated by the splinter in your own eye and blind to the forests in those of your enemies? As an aside, this psychological complex is not new, it was extremely prevalent during the Cold War and very virulent during Vietnam.

[smoking camels]

you are delusional... go back to DU

[foreshadowed at waco]

I don't believe that we should be inflicting physical pain on people to extract information but I'm okay with truth serum or some psychological manipulation to prevent more deaths.

This article has a pompous self-righteous ring to it that make it very easy to act flippant about torture. I believe, however, that most Americans would not enjoy actually witnessing people being made to suffer...we have had the luxury of being taught by our parents and our culture that cruelty is sinful...too bad that the Taliban and the Wahabbists worldwide find cruelty so sexually and morally enjoyable...they must have had lousy parents...freedom and Judeo Christian values make all the difference IMHO.