Jan 6, 2005
Torture, Rape, and American Delight
Here’s one article, about what FBI agents witnessed, from the Washington Post. Here are lots and lots of government memos, care of the ACLU. Here is a nominee for U.S. Attorney General, saying really nice things about obeying the law and treaties, and, for no extra clicking, you also get Senators, even some who oppose him, who consider his rise through government confirmation of the American Dream.
Facts.
1. Torture on a widespread basis has been the policy of the United States government for the last three years. To some extent this has been accomplished by stealth. To some extent—and I find this far scarier—it has been accomplished by redefining torture in ridiculous ways, as if it’s only torture if you break knee caps or if you have to perform surgery to save the guy’s life.
2. The only reason we have to think that this policy has been changed is that the people who created and approved torture claim they were misunderstood and they will never ever do it in the future.
3. The majority of Americans lose no sleep of over this because, “Hey, it’s war.” Or, “Besides what can I do?”
4. The majority of the Senate (and this includes Democrats like my state’s noxious and cowardly Herb Kohl) will approve Bush’s nominee for Attorney General. “He’s in my party.” “He’s the President’s choice.” “Why lose a vote or two because some Arabs got their minds broken?”
There is decency in the world.
1. There are people in the FBI who are appalled and, at some risk, reported this.
2. Likewise with the military. We should honor these people, which is more than our government will do. If this actually stops, they should get the lion’s share of the credit.
3. There is my colleague, a Physicist, who reminded me of all this yesterday when I didn’t want to hear it. Except for losing a little sleep, I’m not all that different from the majority I denounced above.
Torture and Rape: A Thought Experiment that you can try at home.
I would argue that rape is a form of torture. I think most people would agree. So, let’s ask ourselves this, if one of our prisoners had been raped at gunpoint, perhaps tied up, but was not permanently damaged physically, would that have been a violation (so to speak) of our policy?
Would that have been torture?
Delight?
No one that we know have has been raped—though the abuses at Abu Ghraib look designed to produce the same effect-- so where’s the delight?
You don’t have torture this widespread without some of the torturers getting off on it. Maybe they were that way before; maybe they learn to like it . Either way, they’re on the payroll, and we are footing the bill.
My thanks to Mark Danner, whose piece for the NY Times motivated this entry. And to everyone else, including several members of Cliopatria, who have kept this issue alive.
Facts.
1. Torture on a widespread basis has been the policy of the United States government for the last three years. To some extent this has been accomplished by stealth. To some extent—and I find this far scarier—it has been accomplished by redefining torture in ridiculous ways, as if it’s only torture if you break knee caps or if you have to perform surgery to save the guy’s life.
2. The only reason we have to think that this policy has been changed is that the people who created and approved torture claim they were misunderstood and they will never ever do it in the future.
3. The majority of Americans lose no sleep of over this because, “Hey, it’s war.” Or, “Besides what can I do?”
4. The majority of the Senate (and this includes Democrats like my state’s noxious and cowardly Herb Kohl) will approve Bush’s nominee for Attorney General. “He’s in my party.” “He’s the President’s choice.” “Why lose a vote or two because some Arabs got their minds broken?”
There is decency in the world.
1. There are people in the FBI who are appalled and, at some risk, reported this.
2. Likewise with the military. We should honor these people, which is more than our government will do. If this actually stops, they should get the lion’s share of the credit.
3. There is my colleague, a Physicist, who reminded me of all this yesterday when I didn’t want to hear it. Except for losing a little sleep, I’m not all that different from the majority I denounced above.
Torture and Rape: A Thought Experiment that you can try at home.
I would argue that rape is a form of torture. I think most people would agree. So, let’s ask ourselves this, if one of our prisoners had been raped at gunpoint, perhaps tied up, but was not permanently damaged physically, would that have been a violation (so to speak) of our policy?
Would that have been torture?
Delight?
No one that we know have has been raped—though the abuses at Abu Ghraib look designed to produce the same effect-- so where’s the delight?
You don’t have torture this widespread without some of the torturers getting off on it. Maybe they were that way before; maybe they learn to like it . Either way, they’re on the payroll, and we are footing the bill.
My thanks to Mark Danner, whose piece for the NY Times motivated this entry. And to everyone else, including several members of Cliopatria, who have kept this issue alive.