How Doctors Got Into the Torture Business

[aidanjm]

Here's a review of a new book looking at the involvement of Us medical doctors in torturing prisoners in Abu Graib and other sites of Bush's 'war on terror'.

"Oath Betrayed"
by Dr. Stephen Miles

review:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1207633,00.html

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140006...f=pd_bbs_1/104-0922254-3837500?ie=UTF8

Also, take a listen to Amy Goodman's Democracy Now! podcast from 1/07/2006 (the most recent one I think) for graphic descriptions of doctors involvement in monitoring or even administering the torture of Iraqis and others. (The discussion comes after the breaking story in the podcast which is the supreme court repudiation of Bush's law breaking). The discussion on role of medical professionals in torturing individuals as part of Bush's war on terror is extremely disturbing and disheartening. Basically medical professionals were completely integrated into the process of torturing and interrogating prisoners.

 

[Meuge]

I don't see how this is news. Doctors have been involved in torture ever since they became more educated about human anatomy and the physiology than the laymen. In other words - they've been involved in torture since the concept of a 'doctor' has first evolved. There is no mystery or news to it, because doctors are human, just like everyone else... and therefore there are a lot of ****** up doctors out there, who'll do things like this.

 

[kylebisme]

A humanistic look at this issue is portrayed in the play "Death and the Maiden." I highly recommend that anyone interested in this topic either read the play's script or watch the movie.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: Meuge
I don't see how this is news. Doctors have been involved in torture ever since they became more educated about human anatomy and the physiology than the laymen. In other words - they've been involved in torture since the concept of a 'doctor' has first evolved. There is no mystery or news to it, because doctors are human, just like everyone else... and therefore there are a lot of ****** up doctors out there, who'll do things like this.

I think the point is that doctors aren't "doctors" until they've taken the Hippocratic Oath, which strictly forbids torture. Not to mention that doctors are usually the ones on the front line when discovering and reporting torture to the international community, at least that's been the norm for the past 60 years.

On the plus side this falls right in line with Bush's oath to uphold the Constitution.

 

[FrancesBeansRevenge]

If we can't really trust our politicians to uphold their duty to protect the constitution I guess it follows that we can't really trust our physicians to uphold their duty to first do no harm.

That's a depressing thought and thankfully overstated....