Talk about Torture
I’m a little worried that the discussion over harsh interrogation techniques has been bumped out of the newscycle by topics that are easier and more pleasant to superficially analyze like swine flu or whether or not Twitter is scary and unfamiliar. Frankly, torture is not a fun topic—but whatever your thoughts on it, it’s an important one. We’re talking about national values, national security, or both. Neither side should want it to quickly vanish into obscurity. (Except for a lot of politicians who would have a lot of awkward explaining to do if properly pressed).
(Incidentally, I keep saying “torture” not because any of the individual techniques is inherently tortuous. A single head-slam, clothing removal, or small cell may not be torture. But when we waterboard somebody over a hundred times in a month, combined with a series of other techniques including sleep deprivation until they are psychologically incapable of anything other than escalating terror and any thought other than what they can do to make it all stop, I have trouble finding a better word.)
Does anybody out there think treating detainees in this way is intellectually defensible? If so, would you care to defend it? Tumblr’s platform could work well for a formalized debate. We could lay out some ground rules to structure the whole thing. Is anybody on the rough-em-up side up for the challenge?
It’s totally indefensible in a nation which hopes to retain some respect among it’s allies. There is no way now that America can hope to be voice of authority in the ‘free world’. Every claim to be the voice of freedom or the leader of the democratic world will be greeted with disdain, and with good reason.
Unless those responsible are brought to justice then America may as well withdraw it’s troops behind it’s own borders and endure the scorn of the rest of the free world.
