Personally, I oppose closing Gitmo. As you stated in your video, torture is wrong, but so is hijacking planes and crashing them into highly populated civilian buildings. It is bullshit that a "suspected" terrorist can be picked up and detained indefinately without trial. But the point is, we are in a war. If torture is the only option to secure information that could prevent a sequel to 9/11, so be it.
Tortured people will say whatever they think it is that you want to hear so that you will stop torturing them.
You're much more likely to gain information by performing a distracting, low-threshold social activity, like playing chess, or putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
That's how the got the people responsible for genocide in Kosovo to accidentally admit to things and drop information they didn't mean to.
So you're suggesting we play a game of chess with Abl al-rahim al-nashiri, the mastermind of the USS cole bombing responsible for the deaths of 17 US sailors?
The CIA is a highly trained intelligence agency. I'm sure they use a mix of techniques to acquire information although I highly doubt it was as casual as putting together a jigsaw puzzle. In the espionage business, there are all kinds of ways to get information, although i can see where you're coming from on the reliability of information acquired through physical torture. In moderation it can be quite helpful. Although at the rate the CIA was going this time it was a little overboard.
I can see your point. Honestly I think it was punishment rather than interrogation. You've really shown me a new perspective on things. I really enjoy your shows and quite a few of them have changed my viewpoint to a more enlightened one. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my comment.
Thanks for having an intellectually honest discussion without any name calling or pejoratives.
And thank you for the compliments. Like it says in my show's intro- To Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of a Less F**ked up government. That really is what I'm after.
I would like to point out as well that Ghengis Khan outlawed torture in the Mongol empire he created, I don't think he was opposed to hurting people to accomplish his goals I think that even back then he was smart enough to know that torture gives unreliable information. George W. Bush, less humane than Ghengis Khan.
I'm a Republican but I think you make a lot of valid points. It takes guts to point out your own party's flaws.
jeremyoyer 2 years ago
Personally, I oppose closing Gitmo. As you stated in your video, torture is wrong, but so is hijacking planes and crashing them into highly populated civilian buildings. It is bullshit that a "suspected" terrorist can be picked up and detained indefinately without trial. But the point is, we are in a war. If torture is the only option to secure information that could prevent a sequel to 9/11, so be it.
hangmanjay 2 years ago
Torture is a pointless way to gather information.
Tortured people will say whatever they think it is that you want to hear so that you will stop torturing them.
You're much more likely to gain information by performing a distracting, low-threshold social activity, like playing chess, or putting together a jigsaw puzzle.
That's how the got the people responsible for genocide in Kosovo to accidentally admit to things and drop information they didn't mean to.
trichenosis 2 years ago
So you're suggesting we play a game of chess with Abl al-rahim al-nashiri, the mastermind of the USS cole bombing responsible for the deaths of 17 US sailors?
hangmanjay 2 years ago
If there's information we need from him, that's exactly what I'm suggesting.
Because it works.
trichenosis 2 years ago
Torture doesn't work. It will give you bad information.
trichenosis 2 years ago
The CIA is a highly trained intelligence agency. I'm sure they use a mix of techniques to acquire information although I highly doubt it was as casual as putting together a jigsaw puzzle. In the espionage business, there are all kinds of ways to get information, although i can see where you're coming from on the reliability of information acquired through physical torture. In moderation it can be quite helpful. Although at the rate the CIA was going this time it was a little overboard.
hangmanjay 2 years ago
No, torture, even in moderation, causes detainees to become mistrustful and uncooperative.
There simply is no useful application for torture, unless you want to force people to admit to crimes that they never committed.
trichenosis 2 years ago
I can see your point. Honestly I think it was punishment rather than interrogation. You've really shown me a new perspective on things. I really enjoy your shows and quite a few of them have changed my viewpoint to a more enlightened one. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my comment.
hangmanjay 2 years ago
Wow. Did that just happen?
Thanks for having an intellectually honest discussion without any name calling or pejoratives.
And thank you for the compliments. Like it says in my show's intro- To Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of a Less F**ked up government. That really is what I'm after.
trichenosis 2 years ago
I would like to point out as well that Ghengis Khan outlawed torture in the Mongol empire he created, I don't think he was opposed to hurting people to accomplish his goals I think that even back then he was smart enough to know that torture gives unreliable information. George W. Bush, less humane than Ghengis Khan.
KidOmniMan 2 years ago