OT: Release of the DOJ torture transcripts.

[blahblahblah]

It says something about our society that we enjoy discussing torture techniques so much. What is torture, what isn’t torture, when you should torture, why you should torture, what sort of techniques are most effective, etc… It’s all over the TV, on talk radio, and even on a freaking housing bubble blog. There are unbelievably popular movies like the Saw and Hostel series that are nothing but a bunch of torture scenes stitched together. The French make movies about people cheating on their wives and we make movies about pulling each other’s eyes out. Let’s just come right out and say it:

We’re Americans and we love torture. We love thinking about it, we love talking about it, and we even occasionally enjoy doing it (but only when it’s really necessary. It isn’t a black&white world, you know!)

[felix]

[quote=CONCHO]It says something about our society that we enjoy discussing torture techniques so much. What is torture, what isn’t torture, when you should torture, why you should torture, what sort of techniques are most effective, etc… It’s all over the TV, on talk radio, and even on a freaking housing bubble blog. There are unbelievably popular movies like the Saw and Hostel series that are nothing but a bunch of torture scenes stitched together. The French make movies about people cheating on their wives and we make movies about pulling each other’s eyes out. Let’s just come right out and say it:

We’re Americans and we love torture. We love thinking about it, we love talking about it, and we even occasionally enjoy doing it (but only when it’s really necessary. It isn’t a black&white world, you know!)[/quote]

Nice straw man argument.

I suspect most Americans neither enjoy torture nor talking about it, despite the success of Saw movies. I might add that the Saw movies also make a lot of $ overseas, perhaps, those folks in France love seeing limbs amputated as much as some do here.

Much of this commotion is being raised to vilify the Bush administration without regard to the truth or how it may affect our ability to gather information. And I also suspect most folks can’t even agree on what is or isn’t torture.

As I said before, a strict definition would include only those techniques that leave lasting physical or psychological effects. I have yet to hear of anything we used fit into that category.

[felix]

[quote=CONCHO]It says something about our society that we enjoy discussing torture techniques so much. What is torture, what isn’t torture, when you should torture, why you should torture, what sort of techniques are most effective, etc… It’s all over the TV, on talk radio, and even on a freaking housing bubble blog. There are unbelievably popular movies like the Saw and Hostel series that are nothing but a bunch of torture scenes stitched together. The French make movies about people cheating on their wives and we make movies about pulling each other’s eyes out. Let’s just come right out and say it:

We’re Americans and we love torture. We love thinking about it, we love talking about it, and we even occasionally enjoy doing it (but only when it’s really necessary. It isn’t a black&white world, you know!)[/quote]

Nice straw man argument.

I suspect most Americans neither enjoy torture nor talking about it, despite the success of Saw movies. I might add that the Saw movies also make a lot of $ overseas, perhaps, those folks in France love seeing limbs amputated as much as some do here.

Much of this commotion is being raised to vilify the Bush administration without regard to the truth or how it may affect our ability to gather information. And I also suspect most folks can’t even agree on what is or isn’t torture.

As I said before, a strict definition would include only those techniques that leave lasting physical or psychological effects. I have yet to hear of anything we used fit into that category.

[felix]

[quote=CONCHO]It says something about our society that we enjoy discussing torture techniques so much. What is torture, what isn’t torture, when you should torture, why you should torture, what sort of techniques are most effective, etc… It’s all over the TV, on talk radio, and even on a freaking housing bubble blog. There are unbelievably popular movies like the Saw and Hostel series that are nothing but a bunch of torture scenes stitched together. The French make movies about people cheating on their wives and we make movies about pulling each other’s eyes out. Let’s just come right out and say it:

We’re Americans and we love torture. We love thinking about it, we love talking about it, and we even occasionally enjoy doing it (but only when it’s really necessary. It isn’t a black&white world, you know!)[/quote]

Nice straw man argument.

I suspect most Americans neither enjoy torture nor talking about it, despite the success of Saw movies. I might add that the Saw movies also make a lot of $ overseas, perhaps, those folks in France love seeing limbs amputated as much as some do here.

Much of this commotion is being raised to vilify the Bush administration without regard to the truth or how it may affect our ability to gather information. And I also suspect most folks can’t even agree on what is or isn’t torture.

As I said before, a strict definition would include only those techniques that leave lasting physical or psychological effects. I have yet to hear of anything we used fit into that category.

[felix]

[quote=CONCHO]It says something about our society that we enjoy discussing torture techniques so much. What is torture, what isn’t torture, when you should torture, why you should torture, what sort of techniques are most effective, etc… It’s all over the TV, on talk radio, and even on a freaking housing bubble blog. There are unbelievably popular movies like the Saw and Hostel series that are nothing but a bunch of torture scenes stitched together. The French make movies about people cheating on their wives and we make movies about pulling each other’s eyes out. Let’s just come right out and say it:

We’re Americans and we love torture. We love thinking about it, we love talking about it, and we even occasionally enjoy doing it (but only when it’s really necessary. It isn’t a black&white world, you know!)[/quote]

Nice straw man argument.

I suspect most Americans neither enjoy torture nor talking about it, despite the success of Saw movies. I might add that the Saw movies also make a lot of $ overseas, perhaps, those folks in France love seeing limbs amputated as much as some do here.

Much of this commotion is being raised to vilify the Bush administration without regard to the truth or how it may affect our ability to gather information. And I also suspect most folks can’t even agree on what is or isn’t torture.

As I said before, a strict definition would include only those techniques that leave lasting physical or psychological effects. I have yet to hear of anything we used fit into that category.

[felix]

[quote=CONCHO]It says something about our society that we enjoy discussing torture techniques so much. What is torture, what isn’t torture, when you should torture, why you should torture, what sort of techniques are most effective, etc… It’s all over the TV, on talk radio, and even on a freaking housing bubble blog. There are unbelievably popular movies like the Saw and Hostel series that are nothing but a bunch of torture scenes stitched together. The French make movies about people cheating on their wives and we make movies about pulling each other’s eyes out. Let’s just come right out and say it:

We’re Americans and we love torture. We love thinking about it, we love talking about it, and we even occasionally enjoy doing it (but only when it’s really necessary. It isn’t a black&white world, you know!)[/quote]

Nice straw man argument.

I suspect most Americans neither enjoy torture nor talking about it, despite the success of Saw movies. I might add that the Saw movies also make a lot of $ overseas, perhaps, those folks in France love seeing limbs amputated as much as some do here.

Much of this commotion is being raised to vilify the Bush administration without regard to the truth or how it may affect our ability to gather information. And I also suspect most folks can’t even agree on what is or isn’t torture.

As I said before, a strict definition would include only those techniques that leave lasting physical or psychological effects. I have yet to hear of anything we used fit into that category.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Felix: Where do you come down on the practice and policy of rendition/extraordinary rendition? As I’m sure you know, this practice/policy came into existence during the Clinton Administration and full fruition under Bush.

This policy has moved people into prisons throughout the world, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan and even Poland.

I’m pretty clear on what constitutes torture, having seen it firsthand during my time in the Army. I also agree with your assessment, in that much of what people consider torture actually falls under acceptable interrogation techniques.

Rendition, on the other hand, gives me considerable pause, especially from a moral standpoint. I have absolutely no doubt that what happens in those “black” facilities used for rendition is torture. Having worked with our allies in Central America, I can tell you that those allies have no moral compunction about torture, rape, murder and summary execution.

So, in terms of that proverbial slippery slope, where does the line blur, or vanish completely? I’m not asking because I know, but because I don’t. I’m curious as to your take.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Felix: Where do you come down on the practice and policy of rendition/extraordinary rendition? As I’m sure you know, this practice/policy came into existence during the Clinton Administration and full fruition under Bush.

This policy has moved people into prisons throughout the world, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan and even Poland.

I’m pretty clear on what constitutes torture, having seen it firsthand during my time in the Army. I also agree with your assessment, in that much of what people consider torture actually falls under acceptable interrogation techniques.

Rendition, on the other hand, gives me considerable pause, especially from a moral standpoint. I have absolutely no doubt that what happens in those “black” facilities used for rendition is torture. Having worked with our allies in Central America, I can tell you that those allies have no moral compunction about torture, rape, murder and summary execution.

So, in terms of that proverbial slippery slope, where does the line blur, or vanish completely? I’m not asking because I know, but because I don’t. I’m curious as to your take.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Felix: Where do you come down on the practice and policy of rendition/extraordinary rendition? As I’m sure you know, this practice/policy came into existence during the Clinton Administration and full fruition under Bush.

This policy has moved people into prisons throughout the world, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan and even Poland.

I’m pretty clear on what constitutes torture, having seen it firsthand during my time in the Army. I also agree with your assessment, in that much of what people consider torture actually falls under acceptable interrogation techniques.

Rendition, on the other hand, gives me considerable pause, especially from a moral standpoint. I have absolutely no doubt that what happens in those “black” facilities used for rendition is torture. Having worked with our allies in Central America, I can tell you that those allies have no moral compunction about torture, rape, murder and summary execution.

So, in terms of that proverbial slippery slope, where does the line blur, or vanish completely? I’m not asking because I know, but because I don’t. I’m curious as to your take.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Felix: Where do you come down on the practice and policy of rendition/extraordinary rendition? As I’m sure you know, this practice/policy came into existence during the Clinton Administration and full fruition under Bush.

This policy has moved people into prisons throughout the world, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan and even Poland.

I’m pretty clear on what constitutes torture, having seen it firsthand during my time in the Army. I also agree with your assessment, in that much of what people consider torture actually falls under acceptable interrogation techniques.

Rendition, on the other hand, gives me considerable pause, especially from a moral standpoint. I have absolutely no doubt that what happens in those “black” facilities used for rendition is torture. Having worked with our allies in Central America, I can tell you that those allies have no moral compunction about torture, rape, murder and summary execution.

So, in terms of that proverbial slippery slope, where does the line blur, or vanish completely? I’m not asking because I know, but because I don’t. I’m curious as to your take.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Felix: Where do you come down on the practice and policy of rendition/extraordinary rendition? As I’m sure you know, this practice/policy came into existence during the Clinton Administration and full fruition under Bush.

This policy has moved people into prisons throughout the world, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Afghanistan and even Poland.

I’m pretty clear on what constitutes torture, having seen it firsthand during my time in the Army. I also agree with your assessment, in that much of what people consider torture actually falls under acceptable interrogation techniques.

Rendition, on the other hand, gives me considerable pause, especially from a moral standpoint. I have absolutely no doubt that what happens in those “black” facilities used for rendition is torture. Having worked with our allies in Central America, I can tell you that those allies have no moral compunction about torture, rape, murder and summary execution.

So, in terms of that proverbial slippery slope, where does the line blur, or vanish completely? I’m not asking because I know, but because I don’t. I’m curious as to your take.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

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[Allan from Fallbrook]

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[Allan from Fallbrook]

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[Allan from Fallbrook]

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