OK, so, tell me again why we torture prisoners, a practice held in disdain since George Washington's day?

Question

America should be the beacon of light on the hill for the world, not representing radical republican hillbilly hate for the world.

Answer 1

Everyone seems to think the USA never tortured prisoners. Well I got news for you. What has been done recently doesn't even come close to the torture that the Vietcong were subjected to during the Vietnam war.
I served in the RVN. A friend of mine was an interrogator. I will not repeat the stories he told me. But, I will say the interrogation practices in Nam were barbaric.
War is about brutality. Expecting a tea party is foolish.

Answer 2

Have we ever tortured them? If you mean waterboarding, that is not torture. Why do most of the countries practice torture yet we don't? They get results, we don't. We refuse to practice torture because we are better, but torture does work. I'm not a Republican nor a hillbilly but is the liberal's softness on terrorism that prevents them from being elected.

Answer 3

If we are torturing prisoners then there is no valid justification. Eye for an eye and other arguments don't change the fact that torture is wrong. If we are outraged when its done to us then there must be some reason right? But are you sure we are torturing prisoners? Whats your source. The news? It's funny how a speculation or suspicion slowly becomes a assumed fact in the news depending on the ratings of a story. I know our Vice President made a dumb statement or two about torture but other then the un-authorized treatment of prisoners in Iraq, I have not heard of a verifiable instance of our soldiers torturing prisoners.
Remember that the news isn't a bunch of dedicated truth seekers anymore. Now they are a business that sells advertising and that priority shapes the stories we see.
Some are more accurately called stories then reports.

Answer 4

we torture prisoners because, like many that we claim are our enemies, many in positions of power in our government believe us to be above international law and organizations. This is part of the official Bush Doctrine and can be found on the White House web site. They believe that because we live in a time that is so advantageous for international political change, and because we are the global hegemon, that we have to be willing and able to act unilaterally to protect our interests.

edit: for those of you talking about nick berg and other US citizens that got beheaded on TV, that's was done by non-state actors. its the functional equivalent of the KKK lynching someone. it is not direct governmental sanction to ignore human rights standards, and no matter how you slice it or how you define it, that is precisely what we are doing. and don't forget, nick bergs father became a tireless anti-war activist after his son was killed. he has the right to call someone vile names for forgetting how his son died, but unless you knew this man personally then guess what? you are just using a tragedy to promote your own narrow hateful agenda. who does that sound like huh?

Answer 5

You are so right. But, I think that the reason that our government is torturing prisoners is twofold. One is that it fits in perfectly with the New World Order agenda, and the other is that Bush is Dumber than a box of rocks! *sm*

Answer 6

It is no surprise that we torture prisoners. The CIA has been running around the world secretly doing things that are against every notion that this country has spouted. We have executed political rivals - We have changed administrations without elections - We have started wars without real cause

I agree that we need to be the example of how to be a world citizen. But we are not. That is why people hate us. We put Saddam in power. We put Batista in Cuba.

Answer 7

You know, it really bothers me when I read the right wing comments which say idiotic things like: "They do it to us!"

Every enemy we've ever faced did horrific things to our POW's but we've somehow managed to remain above that kind of activity until "Georgie" and the rest of the monsters in his administration came to power. We've always been the "example" to the world of how to treat POW's. Now, we're hated by most of the civilized world because of the actions of these people!

Anyone who still supports these evil monsters should be ashamed!

Answer 8

We have gone to the Dark Side. We are the bad guys, and the world is coming to strangle us with our own intestines.

Answer 9

What torture?!! What is that we do that is considered torture!!? No one is permanently harmed by our interrogations. While they chop off they heads of civilian prisoners, are we just suppose to open a Hilton for enemy combatants?

Answer 10

We are NOT torturing prisoners. It is against International Law and besides that, the U.S. is above that. We don't want any of our troops tortured if they get captured, so we don't torture prisoners. Besides that, many in the military have said that torture doesn't produce the desired affect. What's that??? George Bush is the President??? I forgot about that. I was in denial......... NEVER MIND......