The smart people in Congress have been arguing whether to outlaw torture. Personally, I have never had a problem with torture. Before I would torture someone, though, I would need to be clear about a few things:
* Do I like this person?
* Do I know this person?
If I don’t like someone, then I want that person hurt. Also, I don’t care about people I don’t know, so torturing them is fine.
Now, most of these arguments about torture involve terrorists. I don’t like terrorists and I don’t know them, so they fit my strict guidelines for torture. They should be beaten, electrocuted, have bamboo shoots stuck under their fingernails, and anything else you can think of. They might even give up someone useful information during the torture, but no one should be tortured for information; that ruins the purity of torture. The point of torture is hurting bad people, and we should keep that focus lest we become as bad as those we shock in the gonads.
What I don’t get is this:
Torture is wrong because it’s the intentional inflicting of pain on another person.
But a soldier is allowed to shoot people. I’ve never been shot, but from what I understand, it hurts. Worse, in close quarters combat, you can be knifed or beaten to death.
The only difference is that, before someone can be tortured, an inquiry can be performed to make sure that they really aren’t a noncombatant. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it seems a lot more reliable than squinting through sights on a rifle.
So, unless you’re someone who is an explicit pacifist and simply opposed to (America using) violence, you must acknowledge that suffering is the norm in warfare.
If that’s the case, then how is torture fundamentally different?
Ooooo… Two BIG points for Scooby!!
I believe, however, that the Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits forcing prisoners to listen to recitations of statements made by Nancy Pelosi or Barbara Boxer.
As long as we are talking about “shocking” and “gonads” I’m putting a vote in for shocking AquaFag’s Gonads…but I’m guessing you will need some mighty small lead wires if you know what I’m sayin…
If they’re gonna cut peoples’ heads off I think the least we could do is nail there penises to chairs and force them to watch Micheal Moore have sex with thier wives. Don’t you?
Michael Moore doesn’t strike me as the “has sex with women” type.
“Michael Moore doesn’t strike me as the “has sex with women” type.”
… not do the terrorist scum strike me as the kind that have wives. OK … one case of husband-and-wife homicide bombers … in how many.
I don’t believe in toture for any reason whatsoever … except maybe to make all these scumbags tell everything they know, imagined or fantasized … before they get sent back to their buddies with a tape of their “conversations” ….
Do you suppose his wife minded he was really interested in 72 virgins instead of her?
Do you suppose she knows those virgins aren’t women?
I don’t know, Scooby. At least in combat they can fight back.
Scooby,
Really now, I am surprised at you. The difference between combat and “torture” is that combat has, as its’ direct object, death. Torture, on the other hand, merely has information gathering/entertainment as its object. See the difference? Clearly one is morally superior to the other.
All this argument over torture doesn’t make much sense when one observes the clear success Jack Bauer has in 24. If fox television shows have taught us anything its that hurting people for information is both efficient and entertaining and thus should be done as often as possible.
Torture. Being made to watch hardcore porn starring Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy. Filmed by Michael Moore.
Terrorists should “have bamboo shoots stuck under their fingernails” – wouldn’t bamboo splinters be more effective?
I’m pro-choice on torture, while i don’t believe in it personally i don’t think it is right to force my beliefs on interrogators. Instead of outlawing torture i think we should be working for a culture where torture is safe, legal and rare.
“Torture. Being made to watch hardcore porn starring Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy. Filmed by Michael Moore.”
Bush Lied, Use AstroGlide??
Bamboo shoots range from one half inch to one inch in diameter. I am guessing they would be more painful under the fingernails, though bamboo splinters are the traditional torture method.
I think toture is a wonderful way to get information out of people who want to kill us all. In high school my friends and I had a saying “A quick death takes 9 years.” Needless to say nobody bothered us.
If we were know to use many and various painful types of torture, how many of these scumbags would be interested in fighting us?
Just a thought.
uh, that should be “torture” not “toture”. Stupid fingers.
“I’m pro-choice on torture, while i don’t believe in it personally i don’t think it is right to force my beliefs on interrogators. Instead of outlawing torture i think we should be working for a culture where torture is safe, legal and rare.”
I have sometimes thought that line of reasoning could be applied to abortion clinic bombings. I mean, I am opposed to it, but who am I to force my morality on someone else who wants to?
My other favorite piece of liberal amoral logic can also be applied thusly: “Against abortion clinic bombings? Don’t bomb one.”
“If they’re gonna cut peoples’ heads off I think the least we could do is nail there penises to chairs and force them to watch Micheal Moore have sex with thier wives. Don’t you?”
Geez David, I don’t have a problem with nailing a terrorist’s penis to a chair but I think forcing someone to view Michael Moore in any state of undress, let alone a state of arousal is inhumane.
I don’t mind discussing torture, but do you have to torture me in the process by painting mental pictures of Michael Moore having sex with someone like maybe Aquaman? EWWWW!!!!
From “A Ship Named Francis” (Service of the Sword)
“Bosun,” the XO said, standing on the bridge looking at the navigational readouts, “we have a problem.”
“Yes, Sir?” the Bosun said, faintly.
“That problem,” the XO intoned, “is slackness.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“The Captain scheduled his little game in the interests of jollying people up, but the root problem was slackness. They’ve all been slacking. Well, we’re not going to have any slackness when I’m in command.”
“No, Sir.”
“I’ve got a work-up schedule,” the XO continued, turning to face the NCO. Deep in his eyes, a little fire seemed to burn. As far as the Bosun was concerned, it was burning his retirement papers. “And we’re all going to follow it. To the letter.” He turned back to contemplating the Astro display.
“Yes, Sir,” the Bosun replied.
“We’re not going to have any slackness,” the XO repeated. “We’ll show the fleet that slackness doesn’t happen on the Francis Mueller. Whatever it takes.”
“But, Sir,” the bosun said, regretting the words even before they left his mouth, “we don’t have any thumbscrews.”
“That, Bosun,” the XO replied in a low, mad whisper, “is why they give us machine shops!”
Just give em a finger f…
oh… nevermind