When Will They Ever Learn?
Torture doesn’t work.
Apparently when you have the country lead by people who wouldn’t consider inconveniencing themselves when the nation is at war by joining the military, you end up with people who can’t believe that everyone else isn’t going to give up their friends and country when tortured.
The fact that this administration continues to defend its desire to use torture, just shows that Helen Thomas isn’t the only thing they are afraid of, as terrified as they are of her.
People keep talking about a “ticking bomb scenario”. Our enemy doesn’t use ticking bombs, they use people willing to commit suicide to kill Americans. Why would any rational person assume that someone willing to wear several pounds of explosives and blow themselves up with their victims is going to be impressed by torture?
If your purpose is to coerce a confession from the innocent, then torture is the technique of choice. If you would like to compile a list of totally worthless names, then torture is very effective. If you would like to prove that you can be just as vicious and lawless as any group of thugs on the planet: accept no substitute for torture.
Torture doesn’t work. Torture violates treaties. Torture violates the Constitution. Torture violates US laws. Torture violates the moral teachings of the predominate religions of the United States. Torture is ineffective, unconstitutional, illegal, and immoral, so why is it still being discussed?
