The American Freedom Network

American behavior should be exceptional

April 27, 2009 – 3:29 pm

I agree with the idea of erring on the side of caution and humanity in regards to all of the debate over torture or “harsh interrogation techniques.  Some good questions have been asked here.  Both parties seem to be more interested in the politics surrounding this issue than debating the actual ethical and moral questions it causes.

First the antagonists should agree on what entails “torture”.  I favor the most common dictionary definition rather than the globalist/collectivist vagaries.

tor-ture
Pronunciation [tawr-cher]  verb, -tured, -tur-ing.
–noun
1. the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.
2. a method of inflicting such pain.
3. Often, tortures. the pain or suffering caused or undergone.
4. extreme anguish of body or mind; agony.
5. a cause of severe pain or anguish.

Given the available information; what parts of the “harsh interrogation” techniques meet this definition?  No matter how many doctors you have standing by, waterboarding meets it in my opinion.  Caterpillars in a box?  No.  Sleep deprivation, uncomfortable temperatures, pop music and uncomfortable positions?  No, I don’t think so.

So most of what the code pink and George Soros/Kos left are wailing about isn’t torture.   They should get over it.  The waterboarding “was only used 3 times” is the neo-con justification for that process.  If only 7 seconds (as reported) “breaks” a prisoner I would speculate that it is due to “severe anguish”.  Therefore it was done 3 times too many.  How can we be a leader of the free world if we engage in:

1. Any torture
2. Any mis-identification AS torture of those things which quite obviously are not.

I didn’t need a brigade of 6 (or 7) figure lawyers to figure this out either.

In reference to the excellent questions previously posed: (based on historical materials at my disposal)

1. No.
2. Almost undoubtedly yes.  Not in that specific contextual time frame but throughout the war and on both sides
3. Can’t be determined.
4. No, in that specific context but we undeniably used techniques that the left is calling “torture” in today’s debate.
5. No we didn’t torture the high profile Nazis and Japanese.
6. More than a few instances are certainly alleged and, I believe, ocurred.  Definitely NOT as a matter of policy however.
7. No.

We should hold ourselves, our government and our armed forces to the highest standards of decency and honor.  All of Aemrica should debate the torture and alleged torture associated with the CIA “enhanced interrogation” program.  It should be done with a sense of proportion, justice and objectivity that politicians seem incapable of.