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The saddest part is that by torturing few the US triggered the torture of many many more. Egypt, Turkey, Venezuela and almost everybody else: why hold back when
by dandare 10y ago
The saddest part is that by torturing few the US triggered the torture of many many more. Egypt, Turkey, Venezuela and almost everybody else: why hold back when the US do it? When the good ones do it? Torture is mainstream, morally acceptable and maybe even efficient - why else would the western democracies do it? By torturing their foes the US damaged the whole world for decades, maybe centuries to come.
- ams6110 10y agoAs even a casual review of history will reveal, torture is something that humans are prone to doing. It has always happened and probably always will. Other than giving up the moral high ground, I doubt what the US does or doesn't do in this regard has much impact on what despotic regimes do.
- rdiddly 10y agoThe idea isn't to reform the Despotic Regimes Club; the idea is to avoid JOINING the club. Or upon noticing you're in it, to leave it.
- dandare 10y agoIt's not black or white, many regimes (imagine Turkey) are more democratic than despotic and the question is not whether torture is the official government policy but rather whether a local policeman in remote village thinks it is an appropriate thing to do when investigating a mobile phone theft. 99% of torture happens in countries where it is officially illegal [my guess].
- ZenoArrow 10y agoHuman norms evolve, they're not a fixed thing. Sometimes that evolution is a slow process, but change is nearly always a possibility. In the case of torture, have you noticed that torture is predominantly done by the police and military? Why do you think it is that torture is relatively rare in the general population but more common in the police and military?