Should the U.S. use torture?

[luckyjackson]

I don't think this one is as simple as it looks on the surface. Even famous civil libertarians such as Allan Dershowitz have indicated that under some circumstances it could be acceptable for the U.S. to use torture as a means of extracting information from prisoners.

Sad.

On the one hand, I'm inclined to reject it outright. If you are fighting for a way of life that provides for fair representation, rule of law, compassion, civility etc, using torture is a complete betrayal of those ideals. On the other hand, if the prisoner in front of you has information that could save lives...what do you do?

[gramage]

Torture isn't very effective as a way of gaining information anyway. you can never be sure if what the prisoner is saying is true or if he's just telling you what you want to hear to make the pain stop.

[luckyjackson]

I've heard that before, and yet governments around the world continue to use it.

What about sodium pentathol?

[gramage]

governments use it because it's quick, easy, and it's what they've always done, you'll notice the countries that use it arn't exactly models of order.
sodium penathol can be an aid, but it's like a lie detector, it's possible to beat it.

[TFG5]

Just give the fuckers a pile of porn or internet access to dannis harddrive or something and theyll be so extremely tortured theyll have to talk or die.

:D

[anotherhappy]

Aha- use torture. Sets a nice precedent for the LE. How did that old Pukka Orchestra song go? "You're joining the line-up to fall down the stairs"

Could it be justified? Probably. Would it be worth it? I can't see that it could be. If that kind of force is legitimatized for the enforcement of law, even considered ethical under some circumstances, then it would only be reasonable to expect to see it exercised elsewhere.

lmagine, dragged out of a MP, sitting in a station, getting eyed by a cop holding a phone book and a billy club? I doubt that you'd be thinking that 'the law is the law, and what this fucker is about to do is can probably be justified'

That said,- on a personal, primate and NOT governmental level, torture doesn't seem so bad, especially in the context of pedophiles, rapists and anyone who hurts those who can't defend themselves.