I'll be brief. On the subject of torture, I'm amazed that one aspect has not been discussed much. Torture, since the dawn of humanity (or inhumanity I should say), has been used as punishment and deterrent (to the tortured and to others) first, as a means of obtaining information a distant second. Any discussion involving the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" by the US should take into account the general mood of vengeance and retribution that pervaded the country after 9/11. I am wondering if the discussion under way lately about the value of torture as a way of extracting vital information (the ticking-bomb argument) is not obscuring the fact that using torture for vengeance, punishment, humiliation etc... is not only universally illegal (in the US, the 8th Amendment bans "cruel and unusual punishment") but also unacceptable to most people.
That's it, I'm done. Had to say it. Sorry about that.
No comments:
Post a Comment