When did torturing a person become an acceptable form of showing who is stronger?

Question

It has been proved by interrogation experts that torturing is NOT reliable and the people being tortured will say and do ANYTHING just to get the tortured stopped.

I am having trouble deciding if this is the US or if it is China or Saddam's Iraq.

Oh, and before anyone states that I am "protecting" the terrorists. I was IN THE MILITARY FOR 4 YEARS.

There is a line between right and wrong and hurting someone or making someone else fear for their life is NOT right.

If we did that, we are no better than all the other nations that have tortured.

Ryu.. You are right, torture HAS been around for eons. Does it mean that it is right? No.

K...that is one alternative which could be done. At least you are not scaring the sh(t out of them to find out facts.

Answer 1

I completely agree with you; give them drugs to alter their mind state to give the proper information, don't use physical/mental torture.

Not only could they give the wrong information, they could give deliberately malicious information in order to accomplish more objectives. Heck, even just doing the torture on someone is a 'boon' to the one's who sent them out. They turn into an even greater symbol after they die (or rot in prison).

Edit:
Yes, it is a large question of morals. It's a question of how are those doing the torture different from the ones getting tortured? Sure, given a 100% knowledge, maybe, *maybe* torturing could be explained. But reality is not 100%. Putting an innocent person through torture is disgusting, and is exactly what those people we are fighting do.

Aren't people innocent until proven guilty? Torture for information assumes the opposite.

Answer 2

I guess the question you have to ask is an age old one of who do you want to win the war ?
There are enemies out there that have no standard form of courage, they have no ethics, they didn't sign the Geneva convention. There's no fairness, no good standards, no mercy. Now, in knowing this, perhaps when you hear "torture" you think of the Saw movies where people are having their finger-nails ripped out or permanent damage to someone.
I can't say I support permanant damage kind of torture techniques, but I can't say I apply the same standard towards "water-boarding". It has been classified as psychological torture..which is why it works alot of the time. It makes you think you are drowning...because it feels like your drowning. There's no physical or permanent damage. And quite frankly if I could have done this procedure myself and stopped 911, I would stand proud in doing it.
Its an ethics question for the most part, everybody had to stop getting hung up on the word "torture" and ask themselves..how many civilians...as a matter of fact..how many military people are worth killing just so we can maintain some lost sense of purity that America has by standing by age old principles.
Like I said, I draw the line at physical torture, but I think sleep deprevation is warranted. I don't belive in the chinese water torture, but water boarding that is supervised would be ok.
These measures might give up information that is useful and there is not pain or damage. We haev gotten credible information from the past without torture and I think we should employ these techniques. Its a far cry better than how they treat our soldiers and captured news personel.
If you don't change tactics to combat a new enemy, we will lose. Maybe not in Iraq....but I don't like inviting another 911. Don't forget, they bombed the marine baracks in Beruit, they bombed the twin towers in 1993, they'ev been bombing all over the world in countries that have nothing to do with the USA or our foreign policy. Terrorism is like cockroaches in your home. You have no control of them, you can't really predict who or where they will strike next.
How will the future be ? a colony on mars ? all it takes is one jackass with a bomb to crack the air dome or to blow the space shuttle up with passengers ?
People need to wake up and combat these people. for as long as they believe they have the right to take innocent life, they will always be a threat to the future and man kind.

Answer 3

CIA has been training the intelligence services around the world on how to effectively torture political prisoners since its conception, they are the best there is! i know that they were training the SAVAK of Iran during Shah and when he was kicked out the SAVAMA of Hezbollah didn't hang these SAVAK agents since they needed their expertise so they sill have their jobs and work for SAVAMA. they torture these political prisoners ie; using drugs and they would make them say things like they were wrong and tha they were spys, etc while video taping them and later broad cast it on the media! this is also true in all dictatorial countries that USA supported! this is no news for people in the developing nations! may be to most americans this is news though! peace

Answer 4

To plainly answer your question. Torturing people has been around for eons. Do I agree with torturing another human being? No. But is it effective to find out information? I leave that for you to decide. No really, this isn't a sarcastic answer. You've been in the military so... you probably can decide more accurately.

Answer 5

Why do you think that proving strength is the reason for administering torture?

Everything I've ever heard about it is that it is for acquiring information or because the torturer is just a sicko.

Like you, I've only read about it or saw it on TV so I have no first hand knowledge about it, but everything I have learned says it is a very effective way of obtaining information.

And it is true.........someone being tortured will say anything....including the truth.

Answer 6

Depends I dont think that torturing an average person is right but a terrorist to get information that could save thousands of lives yes. They arent playing by any rules granted thats what makes us different but I would rather have us do it and win the war than not to and lose. The US didnt invent torture so we arent the only ones that have used it from time to time.

Answer 7

about 3 or 4 thousand years ago someone figured out torture was a good way to deal with those that opposed you
now we are supposed to be civilized and just let the murderers do what ever they want so long as we don't violate their civil rights

Answer 8

It is not acceptable--under any circumstances.

The right-wing still seems to be under the illusion that their brutal and sadistic hatred of Muslims--which is the real motive behind their eagerness to torture people--is shared by the American people.

It isn't--they are the ones that are unAmerican and out of step with American valuses and traditions. No real American would ever support such policies.

Answer 9

we don't understand what's this torture going to be like, yet gnashing of the tooth does not sound solid in any respect. all of us understand God is in simple terms. i visit have faith Him for in spite of He comes to a decision to do. What God says, it is going. you won't like it yet what are you able to do, are you going to hit the tank. this is our pastime as Christians to love one yet another and consider out our maximum suitable to enable human beings to understand that selection with their eternal destiny is amazingly significant for eternity is an exceptionally long term. God continually supplies us what He delivers. He supplies us what we could like or something greater beneficial. this is my have faith. yet i'm no longer authorized to declare that there is not any hell IF i do no longer think of THE HELL IS a spectacular element. Jesus talked plenty greater approximately hell than heaven, there is reason of it. all of us understand little or no approximately this hell and torture, yet as for me, it can be a torture to understand that God is genuine and then I would desire to be separated from Him in all eternity we've our unfastened will. this is His promise that all of us willl discover Him as quickly as we seek for Him. he's Love, He loves all and sundry the two. he's in simple terms, he will do what He delivers to do. he's the author, this is His regulations. His furnish is an identical for all and sundry and He knows how plenty information we've had around us. confident, he will honor our alternatives with our unfastened can whether it finally ends up hurting us very undesirable interior the tip. it is severe.

Answer 10

Its not, the enemy uses it like that. We use it to compel information from captured enemies. Just as we did in every war we have fought. If a captured terrorist has information concerning attacks on innocent people it is in our interest to find out and stop it.