Latest WikiLeaks: Validation of GWB "Torture" Techniques?

[GTaudiophile]

I just read this SPIEGEL article on How Al-Qaida Planned to Bomb Heathrow.

WikiLeaks' latest info dump is obviously designed to highlight the (ongoing) horror that is the Guantanamo prison camp and therefore create more anti-US scorn. But while reading the article, I couldn't help but wonder if the camp and its associated "torture" techniques proved to be somewhat useful. Then again, Sheikh Mohammed could have just been BSing everyone in an attempt to throw off our anti-terror efforts.

Thoughts?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Very difficult to prove a negative.

 

[sandorski]

Torture is Unjustifiable.

 

[wuliheron]

Is water boarding technically torture? I loose track of all these technical distinctions lawyers make. Drugs, not a problem. You can get drugs in prison anywhere and obviously the guy did too many drugs.

 

[Throckmorton]

Torture is Unjustifiable.

Is torture wrong? Yes. Does it work? Sometimes. Is it justifiable?

Spock said, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

 

[sandorski]

Is it justifiable?

No, never.

 

[Fear No Evil]

No, never.

What if GWB were to be tortured? :sneaky:

 

[sandorski]

What if GWB were to be tortured? :sneaky:

Dude doesn't even have Intel. Definitely not Justifiable.

 

[werepossum]

Is water boarding technically torture? I loose track of all these technical distinctions lawyers make. Drugs, not a problem. You can get drugs in prison anywhere and obviously the guy did too many drugs.

Bush's lawyers said no; pretty much everyone else's lawyers say yes. We waterboarded three leaders and got some good, actionable intel, although obviously you can't prove that someone would have committed a terrorist act if not killed or detained.

Personally I'm fine with drug-enhanced interrogation and even things like waterboarding in a very, very few select cases where you have good reason to suspect that lives are hanging in the balance. Only problem is, how do we trust government with that power? I didn't have a huge problem with waterboarding, but I'll confess I have no angst about it being gone.

 

[tommo123]

Is water boarding technically torture?

would politicians allow themselves to be water boarded?

 

[Patranus]

Is water boarding technically torture?

Torture is cutting off fingers or gouging out eyes.

Water boarding isn't torture.

 

[sandorski]

Torture is cutting off fingers or gouging out eyes.

Water boarding isn't torture.

Fail

 

[JSt0rm]

lol patranus You always expose your ignorance. Whats amazing is you can keep showing sides of ignorance for years.

 

[CycloWizard]

Is torture wrong? Yes. Does it work? Sometimes. Is it justifiable?

Spock said, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

That's easy to say when you're the one who never has anything anyone else needs. However, since ours is supposed to be a nation based on rights rather than needs, only rights should factor in to the equation. Violation of human rights to offset unknown, unquantifiable needs is not a logically justifiable approach to governance.

 

[a777pilot]

Torture is Unjustifiable.

What if it saves the lives of your children?

 

[Bowfinger]

would politicians allow themselves to be water boarded?

Any morality model that uses politicians as its standard is broken. They're too callous about the sacrifice of others and too cowardly about their own.

 

[irishScott]

Torture is cutting off fingers or gouging out eyes.

Water boarding isn't torture.

Show of hands for water boarding Patranus? After all, it's obviously just a poor-man's water park.

 

[irishScott]

No, never.

If, hypothetically, torturing a murderer would lead to intel that could save even 10s of lives, I'd be first in line with the thumbscrews.

In desperate times, sometimes morals must be temporarily put aside to ensure survival. Sucks, and shouldn't happen, but it does.

Note: Not endorsing GWB style water-boarding, just pointing out that as an option of last resort it is perfectly justifiable.

 

[bfdd]

Torture is Unjustifiable.

You're right, we should just kill them and any like them. Then the intel they have won't matter because we will have killed all of the enemies anyways.

 

[JSt0rm]

What if it saves the lives of your children?

Hmm thats a good one. i dont think anyone has ever brought that up before. Since you have so delicately plucked at my heart strings I'm gonna go ahead and say yeah fuck all of the freedoms and liberties we stand for and torture a motherfucker.

Lets raise the terror threat level to orange to make sure people do what we want.

 

[sandorski]

If, hypothetically, torturing a murderer would lead to intel that could save even 10s of lives, I'd be first in line with the thumbscrews.

In desperate times, sometimes morals must be temporarily put aside to ensure survival. Sucks, and shouldn't happen, but it does.

Note: Not endorsing GWB style water-boarding, just pointing out that as an option of last resort it is perfectly justifiable.

No.

 

[sandorski]

What if it saves the lives of your children?

Don't have Children. If I did, there's no way of knowing beforehand if they were in any danger in the first place.

Torture is never Justifiable. Never.

 

[wuliheron]

would politicians allow themselves to be water boarded?

That's an interesting question. I know for a fact some are into S & M (don't ask, I'll never tell), so you'd have to do a survey to find out for sure. However, I suspect some would gladly pay a premium to be water boarded. As long as its kept private of course....

 

[a777pilot]

Hmm thats a good one. i dont think anyone has ever brought that up before. Since you have so delicately plucked at my heart strings I'm gonna go ahead and say yeah fuck all of the freedoms and liberties we stand for and torture a motherfucker.

Lets raise the terror threat level to orange to make sure people do what we want.

Fuck muslims and torture the motherfuckers! Good we agree.

 

[a777pilot]

Don't have Children. If I did, there's no way of knowing beforehand if they were in any danger in the first place.

Torture is never Justifiable. Never.

You could be right, but I'm not willing to risk the lives of Americans to find out.

Oh, yes, can you define torture?