From CVC
Civetcat, help me understand your views on torture.
Torture is defined as inflicting physical or pschological pain - is this how you define it?
Torture - in any form and for any reason is wrong?
I'm going to assume you are being straightforward and don't know. I've read many other posts on this forum that reflect a similar lack of basic knowledge or morals.
The military has thought about this issue at length you can read many interesting essays by thoughtfull military attourneys here.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/awc-law.htm
I am not in the position of having to make such moral distinctions, I am in agreement with most everything I've read from them. Yes on physical or psychological pain as being torture. Yes it's wrong. Of course in any society there are sociapaths or sadists who inflict it. Even as bad are those who make excuses such as I've read here. Well they are terorists, (maybe,, we think,,, because someone told us they were)
Of course we are a party to and abide by all applicable parts of the Geneva Convention.
Many have difficulty reading at length, if so PBS had a long documentary considering the moral implications, when the line is crossed, etc etc etc.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/torture/
I also linked their 3 part documentry at the top of the page, did you watch it?
I'd especially recomend Stick to The High Ground by Colonel Richard Jackson
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/law/high_ground.pdf
It's obvious to even the most casual observer that we as a nation have perpetrated horific war crimes. To date low level prison guards have been prosecuted. I realize that the "just following orders" excuse doens't hold up, but given the circumstances I know from reading history that the number of us who would stand up and say that what we are doing is wrong, are very few. It's a far different prospect when one is in the midst of a situation. None the less there have been many whistle blowers of all ranks. Much more culpable in my estimation are those further up the ladder, those insisting that there is information there and they want it.
I just recieved an email from a woman in Singapore, she related that her research lab erupted in celebration when the news of the election came in on what was for them the morning of the 5th. Her countrymen were following the election with more interest than any other they ever have. Most of the world now loaths and fears our current government. Like it or not the Republican party has been tarred with this whole 8 years.
Obama said the Sunday before last that come January 20th he will order Gitmo closed and for the US to no longer torture. When that day comes America can begin to shed some of our shame.
