Comments on: Abuse and Confession http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2009/01/10/abuse-and-confession/ Questions through the veil of ignorance Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:08:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: peter jackson http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2009/01/10/abuse-and-confession/comment-page-1/#comment-225835 peter jackson Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:24:31 +0000 http://asecondhandconjecture.com/?p=6679#comment-225835 Stress positions cause pain. There is an argument to be made that employing them is torture. Sleep deprivation? If it doesn't injure or cause pain, then it's not torture. Waterboarding? Not torture. Environmental temperature manipulation (very cold, very hot)? There's an argument to be made that this causes pain and is therefore torture. Anxiety inducement, superstition manipulation, hurt feelings--obviously not torture. Personally I wish we'd just toss it all and go with a single protocol of prescribed sodium thiopental. Cause pain? It's a barbiturate. Nor does it injure or induce psychosis. It's reputation as an interrogation method is one of the best. And most importantly it will satisfy any need for any officials to employ other, more harmful methods in pursuit of intelligence. Then torture will not only be illegal, but there will also be no reason to torture in the first place, making it the best possible outcome. Stress positions cause pain. There is an argument to be made that employing them is torture. Sleep deprivation? If it doesn’t injure or cause pain, then it’s not torture. Waterboarding? Not torture. Environmental temperature manipulation (very cold, very hot)? There’s an argument to be made that this causes pain and is therefore torture. Anxiety inducement, superstition manipulation, hurt feelings–obviously not torture.

Personally I wish we’d just toss it all and go with a single protocol of prescribed sodium thiopental. Cause pain? It’s a barbiturate. Nor does it injure or induce psychosis. It’s reputation as an interrogation method is one of the best. And most importantly it will satisfy any need for any officials to employ other, more harmful methods in pursuit of intelligence. Then torture will not only be illegal, but there will also be no reason to torture in the first place, making it the best possible outcome.

]]> By: Synova http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2009/01/10/abuse-and-confession/comment-page-1/#comment-225828 Synova Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:36:36 +0000 http://asecondhandconjecture.com/?p=6679#comment-225828 I've said before and I'll say again... no matter the fantasies of those who think that the military is about training young men to kill... the truth is that military discipline is about training young men to STOP.   I'm not at all surprised when people who do not understand that indulge in their own fantasies of torture or murder. I’ve said before and I’ll say again… no matter the fantasies of those who think that the military is about training young men to kill… the truth is that military discipline is about training young men to STOP.  

I’m not at all surprised when people who do not understand that indulge in their own fantasies of torture or murder.

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