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Most people will hand over their wallet, phone, car keys, passwords, and spill their darkest secrets if you just point a toy gun at them and raise your voice.
by mcbits 9y ago
Most people will hand over their wallet, phone, car keys, passwords, and spill their darkest secrets if you just point a toy gun at them and raise your voice.
Some won't, but saying "torture doesn't work" as a blanket statement implies that they all have infinite pain tolerance.
- drdrey 9y agoPeople will also confess to anything and say whatever they think you want to hear under torture.
- mcbits 9y agoSure, it doesn't always work. Some people will also withstand torture and take their secrets to the grave. But "torture doesn't always work" is a far cry from "torture doesn't work." A more believable amoral/utilitarian argument against torture is that there will always be a more effective method than torture available. That's probably also wrong, but at least it's not so obviously wrong on its face. The problem with the argument is that if a would-be torturer finds evidence that torture is the most effective method in some circumstance, they will feel vindicated in using it. I think a better argument is "regardless of effectiveness, anyone crossing this line is a dangerous and despicable person, and shall be prosecuted."
- Gatsky 9y agoMost people are carrying a wallet, phone, car keys. How many people that get tortured actually know anything?