"As long as we're responsible for hunting those SOBs down, finding them and preventing them from killing our sons and daughters," Honore said, "I think we've got an obligation to do what the hell we've got to do to make sure we get the mission done."When generals teach 13-year-olds that might makes right, there's little wonder why modern young people are growing up with cynical contempt toward the government.
How strong is a nation where jesters like John Stewart and Stephen Colbert are viewed with more credibility than the nation's highest elected leaders and officers?
3 comments:
I find myself somewhat torn. I would really like to be opposed to all forms of torture under any circumstances. But if I knew the government had apprehended a known terrorist, connected with a group that had hidden a nuclear device in a populous American city where my son lives, and was planning to detonate it, I'm not sure I would put the lives and suffering of so many below the suffering of one individual.
I'm trying to figure out what I think about this. I posted something about this on my blog just yesterday. I would appreciate your thoughts and comments on this!
The general and McGrath make a false assumption--i.e., that in fact the torture will result in saving lives.
There is a considerable body of evidence, including from people who have been tortured, that if the tortured person tells you anything, it is likely to be just what they think you want to hear--not the truth.
In addition to the stupidity of using torture, there are the dehumanizing effects on the people who are doing the torturing.
Further, there are the long term consequences for committment to the techniques of terrorists by the supposed leaders of the "War on Terror (sic)."
Then, for those who take the teaching of the gospels seriously, there is the obvious incompatibility between approving of using torture and the teachings of Jesus, and of the entire early church.
James,
In my mind, the whole scenario about hidden WMD is misguided. It is designed to instill fear and short-circuit clear thinking.
The scenario presumes that terrorists will betray their cause by trading valid information to preserve their lives.
The terrorists who flew jets into the World Trade Center believed in their cause enough to willingly die for it.
Torture doesn't work on "true believers" and they are the ones who are most dangerous.
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