Waterboarding does not need to be legal

[tongodeon]

If you could stop a terrorists' nuclear attack on New York City by molesting 11 year old Abigail Breslin, would you do it

Comments

[loic]

I'm just hoping they make the Amazing Crimefighting Power(tm) of waterboarding available to all levels of law enforcement, down to traffic cops, meter maids and the bouncer at Slims.

If it's really so good at finding the truth we should really consider doing away with the polygraph - heck, why make people swear an oath in court when you could just waterboard witnesses and find out the truth quickly.

[tongodeon]

There's always trial by ordeal.

[tongodeon]

why stop at waterboarding? Why not roast those witness alive on a spit until their backs split open, then pour molten lead into the cracks, until they give with the valuable informations stored in their wetware.

1. Because if you're attempting to extract information it is bad practice to damage the information container.
   
2. Because evidence of torture damages the admissability of the evidence.
   
3. Because evidence of torture provides propaganda for the opposition.
   
4. Because invasive or crippling tortures limit future torturing opportunities.

I'm tired of the implication that we're waterboarding because it's not as bad as other tortures. Waterboarding is
" torture plus", not "torture light". You'd still want to waterboard your prisoners even if everyone was OK with lead-garnished live roasting.

[mister_borogove]

I've been saying this for a couple of years now. If you want to torture someone to obtain ticking time bomb evidence, our policy should be that you write a confession to having used torture, sign it, put it in an envelope with "do not open for 24 hours" written on the outside, hand that envelope to your superior officer, and then walk into the windowless room with your suspect.

If you save enough lives, the president pardons you. If you don't save enough lives, you go to jail.

[resipisco]

Sounds like playing Russian Roulette with a gun to the heads of both interrogator and prisoner. I approve!

[mister_borogove]

For every person like you, there's someone who would molest Abigail for a cup of coffee and a donut, so, it works out.

[haloumi]

Some will even bring their own coffee and donut.

[haloumi]

My problem, as always, is the assumption that torture magically conjures information that is important to you, regardless of who you are torturing

[swingland]

yes! remorsefully torture people to death! if they're lying, then they tell you nothing. if they are telling you truth, you will profit. grind their bones into dust and splay their feces on the floors. there is no loss for you, only for them. they have but to tell you what you want to hear before their lives are extinguished.

i completely applaud your rationale and support it to the fullest extent.

[haloumi]

I realise that my last paragraph doesn't read as I intended. I should have added 'and even then, any information you receive will be suspect'.

Urm, please don't torture people to death. Really.

[swingland]

honestly, i like your gumption.

[mmcirvin]

I still think Belle Waring said it best: By The Power of Stipulation: I Have The Power!