Christopher Hitchens - Axis of Evil (6 of 7) - North Korea & Torture

July 9, 2009. Commonwealth Club. . .

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[markdown01]

To be clear. ANY torture puts our troops at risk. Why? He won't mention that due to his idiocy. If OUR troops are captured, and WE flaunt the law and dare torture, WHAT is to stop a more brutal enemy from doing the same, knowing they can justify it if ever tried for it, for their enemy (us) doing the same to them. Of coruse, any such war is a product, again, of banker and corporate elite. The mystery school (not true Christian) faiths bless it. So much he's missing in the big picture he fails.

[upandopen]

Our enemies capture their enemies and use piano strings to slice their faces off. What our torture policy is has no impact on these people.

And by the way, if you actually read what Hitch wrote after getting water-boarded, it was that we shouldn't be doing it.

[markdown01]

It's been proven by intel officials NOT in line with the right wing totalitarians that torture is NOT as effective as other far more subtle forms of coersion. It is so much more effective to psych them out with skill, and this is easy to search on Google for more info on those methods. His saying torture usually works but to a point is idiocy. Based on what? He got WB'd. So what? That doesn't make him an expert. He's carrying corporate right wing water. His God / faith, to the mammonist elite.

[upandopen]

Which intel officials?

[ProtoCosmos]

Somebody give him a lozenge.

[markdown01]

@migkillertwo More involved in such things said torture DOES NOT work as well.

[shakenation]

My personal belief is that any interrogation method at all is probably not very reliable, people are very good lairs after all. Besides psychological torture can probably make the victim go insane. Sleep deprivation, mind games, drugs ect.

[shakenation]

@markdown01 So let me get this straight. Christopher Hitchens experienced water-boarding, and from that experience concluded that if his torturers had been trying to get information from him, they very well might have gotten it. You are saying that his conclusion from his first hand experience is wrong and you conclusion is right which is that physical cannot work. Have you been water-boarded? I bet they could make you say an equal amount of B.S. and truth and have no idea which is which.

[migkillertwo]

Here are the facts: officers closely involved with torture themselves have said that it did save lives and that they did gain valuable intel from these methods. Argue all you want about rights and ethics, however we should all trust people actually involved in these matters before some policy-wonk in a think tank totally isolated from these methods.

[writersblock26]

Thank you for posting this, upandopen.

[markdown01]

@RakshasaCat We are not in disagreement. the person I aimed that is defending Hitchens. Hitchens says torture works to a point. That is wrong, period as you say. The 'not in line' means those defenidng torturte as working (even to a point, as Hitchens says). He is defending Bush war policies for God's sake. Like some right-wing secrete weapon. Bash Christianity to please left-leaning Athiests while stumping for a neo-con view of war. This bumbling idiot has lot all credibitily for his bullshit.

[RakshasaCat]

@markdown01 What do you mean 'NOT in line...'?

I was under the impression that the intelligence community had long know that torture was one of the least productive ways of gathering intelligence. A good meal is much more efficient than any kind of torture, and that is how the personal guard of Osama bin Laden was turned.

[kacplaymyst]

President Ronald Reagan was correct we need Strategic Defense Initiative

[saidox]

It's not the audio, its the microphone they used. It's a 30 degree mic (captures sound waves that are in a 30 degree range from its center), so when he moves his head and speak at the angel outside of the mic's range the audio's volume gets lower.

[RebelWrestler45]

@markdown01 It depends on your definition of torture. Torture which involves acute physical pain is not effective in eliciting valuable information, though it has in certain instances usually in the field. Interrogation which involves extreme mental stress and induces panic is effective in gathering information from an unwilling source. Take if from someone who has been waterboarded, and will be again after Airborne school during SERE training, it sucks terribly, but it is an effective technique