OT: Release of the DOJ torture transcripts.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Delete: Duplicate post.

[blahblahblah]

Nice straw man argument.

Actually it’s not a straw man argument. A straw man argument would be something akin to “You’re saying that we should be able to torture anyone anytime we like, but clearly if we do that then we’re completely evil!” A straw man involves taking someone’s position, distorting it, and then refuting it, which I did not do. Actually, I wasn’t even taking sides with my post.

I was merely pointing out that we really seem to enjoy discussing and thinking about torture based on how much TV and radio airtime is devoted to it, how many newspaper column inches are about it, how many blog posts are about it, and how many popular films have torture scenes. Even James Bond films have torture scenes now! It used to be that the villain would just set James up to snuff him on some elaborate device but now he must torture him first. On “24”, Jack Bauer is constantly having to torture people. Even on a great show like “Lost” we’ve got Sayid and his history as an Iraqi torturer.

And yes of course the “Saw” movies do well overseas, so people all around the world are just as sick as we are. Of course the movies themselves are actually made here. India has the biggest movie industry outside of the US (maybe even bigger), but their movies seem to be mostly love stories with lots of song and dance numbers and goofy moustachioed villains. Only the US, for some reason, seems to produce this disturbing torture pornography. What does this say about us?

[blahblahblah]

Nice straw man argument.

Actually it’s not a straw man argument. A straw man argument would be something akin to “You’re saying that we should be able to torture anyone anytime we like, but clearly if we do that then we’re completely evil!” A straw man involves taking someone’s position, distorting it, and then refuting it, which I did not do. Actually, I wasn’t even taking sides with my post.

I was merely pointing out that we really seem to enjoy discussing and thinking about torture based on how much TV and radio airtime is devoted to it, how many newspaper column inches are about it, how many blog posts are about it, and how many popular films have torture scenes. Even James Bond films have torture scenes now! It used to be that the villain would just set James up to snuff him on some elaborate device but now he must torture him first. On “24”, Jack Bauer is constantly having to torture people. Even on a great show like “Lost” we’ve got Sayid and his history as an Iraqi torturer.

And yes of course the “Saw” movies do well overseas, so people all around the world are just as sick as we are. Of course the movies themselves are actually made here. India has the biggest movie industry outside of the US (maybe even bigger), but their movies seem to be mostly love stories with lots of song and dance numbers and goofy moustachioed villains. Only the US, for some reason, seems to produce this disturbing torture pornography. What does this say about us?

[blahblahblah]

Nice straw man argument.

Actually it’s not a straw man argument. A straw man argument would be something akin to “You’re saying that we should be able to torture anyone anytime we like, but clearly if we do that then we’re completely evil!” A straw man involves taking someone’s position, distorting it, and then refuting it, which I did not do. Actually, I wasn’t even taking sides with my post.

I was merely pointing out that we really seem to enjoy discussing and thinking about torture based on how much TV and radio airtime is devoted to it, how many newspaper column inches are about it, how many blog posts are about it, and how many popular films have torture scenes. Even James Bond films have torture scenes now! It used to be that the villain would just set James up to snuff him on some elaborate device but now he must torture him first. On “24”, Jack Bauer is constantly having to torture people. Even on a great show like “Lost” we’ve got Sayid and his history as an Iraqi torturer.

And yes of course the “Saw” movies do well overseas, so people all around the world are just as sick as we are. Of course the movies themselves are actually made here. India has the biggest movie industry outside of the US (maybe even bigger), but their movies seem to be mostly love stories with lots of song and dance numbers and goofy moustachioed villains. Only the US, for some reason, seems to produce this disturbing torture pornography. What does this say about us?

[blahblahblah]

Nice straw man argument.

Actually it’s not a straw man argument. A straw man argument would be something akin to “You’re saying that we should be able to torture anyone anytime we like, but clearly if we do that then we’re completely evil!” A straw man involves taking someone’s position, distorting it, and then refuting it, which I did not do. Actually, I wasn’t even taking sides with my post.

I was merely pointing out that we really seem to enjoy discussing and thinking about torture based on how much TV and radio airtime is devoted to it, how many newspaper column inches are about it, how many blog posts are about it, and how many popular films have torture scenes. Even James Bond films have torture scenes now! It used to be that the villain would just set James up to snuff him on some elaborate device but now he must torture him first. On “24”, Jack Bauer is constantly having to torture people. Even on a great show like “Lost” we’ve got Sayid and his history as an Iraqi torturer.

And yes of course the “Saw” movies do well overseas, so people all around the world are just as sick as we are. Of course the movies themselves are actually made here. India has the biggest movie industry outside of the US (maybe even bigger), but their movies seem to be mostly love stories with lots of song and dance numbers and goofy moustachioed villains. Only the US, for some reason, seems to produce this disturbing torture pornography. What does this say about us?

[blahblahblah]

Nice straw man argument.

Actually it’s not a straw man argument. A straw man argument would be something akin to “You’re saying that we should be able to torture anyone anytime we like, but clearly if we do that then we’re completely evil!” A straw man involves taking someone’s position, distorting it, and then refuting it, which I did not do. Actually, I wasn’t even taking sides with my post.

I was merely pointing out that we really seem to enjoy discussing and thinking about torture based on how much TV and radio airtime is devoted to it, how many newspaper column inches are about it, how many blog posts are about it, and how many popular films have torture scenes. Even James Bond films have torture scenes now! It used to be that the villain would just set James up to snuff him on some elaborate device but now he must torture him first. On “24”, Jack Bauer is constantly having to torture people. Even on a great show like “Lost” we’ve got Sayid and his history as an Iraqi torturer.

And yes of course the “Saw” movies do well overseas, so people all around the world are just as sick as we are. Of course the movies themselves are actually made here. India has the biggest movie industry outside of the US (maybe even bigger), but their movies seem to be mostly love stories with lots of song and dance numbers and goofy moustachioed villains. Only the US, for some reason, seems to produce this disturbing torture pornography. What does this say about us?

[Allan from Fallbrook]

CONCHO: Are you familiar with the term “carnography”? Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnography

I think Americans do tend to fetishize violence, and we tend to be a very warlike and violent culture. We’ve been a gun culture since our existence and we’ve not hesitated, as a nation, to enforce our will through violence or military action.

Our most iconic films, the westerns, tend to glorify the violent, final ending of a problem with gun play (which usually involves a dastardly and cowardly villain), while simultaneously downplaying the actual violence. It wasn’t until Sam Peckinpah arrived on the scene that we actually started seeing blood and gore on the screen.

Now it seems like we revel in it. I watched the last “Rambo” film, in which Stallone goes to town with a mounted .50cal and was actually horrified at how realistic the depiction of the damage was. The “Saw” films you mentioned, as well as the two “Hostel” films are also good examples. These movies aren’t horror movies, in the conventional sense of the word (i.e. they’re not really trying to scare you at all), rather they’re porno for violence and gore junkies.

Of course, if you want to militarize a culture, then you need to inure the young to violence.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

CONCHO: Are you familiar with the term “carnography”? Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnography

I think Americans do tend to fetishize violence, and we tend to be a very warlike and violent culture. We’ve been a gun culture since our existence and we’ve not hesitated, as a nation, to enforce our will through violence or military action.

Our most iconic films, the westerns, tend to glorify the violent, final ending of a problem with gun play (which usually involves a dastardly and cowardly villain), while simultaneously downplaying the actual violence. It wasn’t until Sam Peckinpah arrived on the scene that we actually started seeing blood and gore on the screen.

Now it seems like we revel in it. I watched the last “Rambo” film, in which Stallone goes to town with a mounted .50cal and was actually horrified at how realistic the depiction of the damage was. The “Saw” films you mentioned, as well as the two “Hostel” films are also good examples. These movies aren’t horror movies, in the conventional sense of the word (i.e. they’re not really trying to scare you at all), rather they’re porno for violence and gore junkies.

Of course, if you want to militarize a culture, then you need to inure the young to violence.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

CONCHO: Are you familiar with the term “carnography”? Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnography

I think Americans do tend to fetishize violence, and we tend to be a very warlike and violent culture. We’ve been a gun culture since our existence and we’ve not hesitated, as a nation, to enforce our will through violence or military action.

Our most iconic films, the westerns, tend to glorify the violent, final ending of a problem with gun play (which usually involves a dastardly and cowardly villain), while simultaneously downplaying the actual violence. It wasn’t until Sam Peckinpah arrived on the scene that we actually started seeing blood and gore on the screen.

Now it seems like we revel in it. I watched the last “Rambo” film, in which Stallone goes to town with a mounted .50cal and was actually horrified at how realistic the depiction of the damage was. The “Saw” films you mentioned, as well as the two “Hostel” films are also good examples. These movies aren’t horror movies, in the conventional sense of the word (i.e. they’re not really trying to scare you at all), rather they’re porno for violence and gore junkies.

Of course, if you want to militarize a culture, then you need to inure the young to violence.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

CONCHO: Are you familiar with the term “carnography”? Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnography

I think Americans do tend to fetishize violence, and we tend to be a very warlike and violent culture. We’ve been a gun culture since our existence and we’ve not hesitated, as a nation, to enforce our will through violence or military action.

Our most iconic films, the westerns, tend to glorify the violent, final ending of a problem with gun play (which usually involves a dastardly and cowardly villain), while simultaneously downplaying the actual violence. It wasn’t until Sam Peckinpah arrived on the scene that we actually started seeing blood and gore on the screen.

Now it seems like we revel in it. I watched the last “Rambo” film, in which Stallone goes to town with a mounted .50cal and was actually horrified at how realistic the depiction of the damage was. The “Saw” films you mentioned, as well as the two “Hostel” films are also good examples. These movies aren’t horror movies, in the conventional sense of the word (i.e. they’re not really trying to scare you at all), rather they’re porno for violence and gore junkies.

Of course, if you want to militarize a culture, then you need to inure the young to violence.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

CONCHO: Are you familiar with the term “carnography”? Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnography

I think Americans do tend to fetishize violence, and we tend to be a very warlike and violent culture. We’ve been a gun culture since our existence and we’ve not hesitated, as a nation, to enforce our will through violence or military action.

Our most iconic films, the westerns, tend to glorify the violent, final ending of a problem with gun play (which usually involves a dastardly and cowardly villain), while simultaneously downplaying the actual violence. It wasn’t until Sam Peckinpah arrived on the scene that we actually started seeing blood and gore on the screen.

Now it seems like we revel in it. I watched the last “Rambo” film, in which Stallone goes to town with a mounted .50cal and was actually horrified at how realistic the depiction of the damage was. The “Saw” films you mentioned, as well as the two “Hostel” films are also good examples. These movies aren’t horror movies, in the conventional sense of the word (i.e. they’re not really trying to scare you at all), rather they’re porno for violence and gore junkies.

Of course, if you want to militarize a culture, then you need to inure the young to violence.

[scaredyclassic]

we fetishize violence, and say we are for peace.

we fetishize and sexualize kids, and scream about pedophiles.

we scream about drugs, but we’re all doped up, on legal and illegal drugs.

we’re nuts!

“You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody’s crazy.”
-Charles Manson
>

>

[scaredyclassic]

we fetishize violence, and say we are for peace.

we fetishize and sexualize kids, and scream about pedophiles.

we scream about drugs, but we’re all doped up, on legal and illegal drugs.

we’re nuts!

“You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody’s crazy.”
-Charles Manson
>

>

[scaredyclassic]

we fetishize violence, and say we are for peace.

we fetishize and sexualize kids, and scream about pedophiles.

we scream about drugs, but we’re all doped up, on legal and illegal drugs.

we’re nuts!

“You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody’s crazy.”
-Charles Manson
>

>

[scaredyclassic]

we fetishize violence, and say we are for peace.

we fetishize and sexualize kids, and scream about pedophiles.

we scream about drugs, but we’re all doped up, on legal and illegal drugs.

we’re nuts!

“You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody’s crazy.”
-Charles Manson
>

>

[Author]

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