Is torture a necessary evil?

[Irona]

Having recently watched 'Zero Dark Thirty' I've been wondering weather the use of torture to gain information is a necessary evil.

Torture has been around since the dawn of man. Most recently its been used in the war on terror. It can be justified by saying that without the information gained countless more civilians would have died. But torture is cruel, it deliberately creates unimaginable suffering, is that evil. What do you think NationStates is it a necessary evil? Or should we try and find other ways to win the war on terror?

I believe that in all but the most extreme of circumstances torture should be outlawed.

[Divair2]

No.

[Lunatic Goofballs]

Torture should be used for entertainment purposes only. *nod*

[Seaxeland]

Of course it is.

[Domenic and friends]

Yes.

[Novia Soviet Socialist Republic]

It's unreliable so no it's not necessary.

[The IASM]

No, it is an partially bad way at extracting information from most people butnitnwill be funt to engage in torture none the less.

[Sureblanc]

Absolutely. We must choose the sacrifices that we make as a country and as far as terrorism goes the options are this:

The health and comfort of someone who hates and wants to destroy our country
The lives of thousands of innocent citizens

You choose.

[Indira]

No. Not only is torture barbaric, but the information gained is of dubious value. A victim will say whatever you WANT them to say and not necessarily what you NEED them to tell you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effectiven ... errogation

[Cannot think of a name]

Not only is it unnecessary but corrupts otherwise valid information.

[Indira]

Absolutely. We must choose the sacrifices that we make as a country and as far as terrorism goes the options are this:

The health and comfort of someone who hates and wants to destroy our country
The lives of thousands of innocent citizens

You choose.

Not only are your choices innacurate, the information gained would be of dubious value and it would demean the intelligence community and us as a people.

[DnalweN acilbupeR]

In some very limited circumstances, I'm afraid it is.

E: Obviously completely off the books.

[Arcadonisia]

Torture in any form is inhumane and should be banned. Allowing it would further degrade ourselves to the same level as those we claim to fight against.

[Valrifell]

Absolutely. We must choose the sacrifices that we make as a country and as far as terrorism goes the options are this:

The health and comfort of someone who hates and wants to destroy our country
The lives of thousands of innocent citizens

You choose.

The better way into getting information is to act ignorant, make them feel as welcome as possible, and bug the entire place.

[Constantinopolis]

No. Next question?

[OMGeverynameistaken]

Discussions of inhumanity aside, information gained through torture is inherently unreliable. If you cut bits off of people until they confess to being a communist, you're going to find a lot of communists.

[Herskerstad]

All depends on the situation, level of intelligence one knows one can gather, how many lives it would save and who's in question.

[Hakio]

Well, because we have a large BDSM culture, if it's voluntary people can do whatever they want to each other, except murder.

[Saiwania]

I know I would sing like a canary if I had enough pain inflicted on me. I genuinely think torture works and I'm at a loss for why people are so against it. At the least, water boarding should be allowed as enhanced interrogation.

[Len Hyet]

Goal: Find out the correct information
Route 1: Torture
Route 2: Tried and proven interrogation techniques (Read: Not Torture)

Result 1: You are told whatever the person under torture thinks you want to hear in order to get the torture to stop. This may be the correct information, or it may be something else. It's usually something else.

Result 2: After a slightly longer period of time, you get the correct information.

It is dubiously valuable at best, and counterproductive at worst.

[Indira]

I know I would sing like a canary if I had enough pain inflicted on me. I genuinely think torture works and I'm at a loss for why people are so against it. At the least, water boarding should be allowed as enhanced interrogation.

Exactly. You would sing like a canary. Even if you didn't know anything of value. It's inhumane, barbaric and unreliable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effectiven ... errogation

[Great Nepal]

Torture should be used for entertainment purposes only. *nod*

Only of it is televised; down with elitism on torture!

---

A bit more seriously, no. Information gained for torture is not going to be reliable. If I start to cut your skin and pour salt mixed in vinegar until you say white wall is blue, you will eventually say wall is blue.

[Saiwania]

Exactly. You would sing like a canary. Even if you didn't know anything of value. It's inhumane, barbaric and unreliable.

Only if you don't actually know anything of value. If you do, surely it will work.

[Anollasia]

No.

This.

[Constantinopolis]

I know I would sing like a canary if I had enough pain inflicted on me. I genuinely think torture works and I'm at a loss for why people are so against it. At the least, water boarding should be allowed as enhanced interrogation.

And if they're torturing you to get some information that they think you have, but you don't actually have? What then?

Then you tell them whatever lies they want to hear, just to make them stop.

Edit: Ninjas. Ninjas everywhere.