Torture

[Holy Jakelandion Empire]

How do you guys feel about torturing terrorists to extract info. to improve national security? (Waterboarding, physical hits, etc.)

[Herrebrugh]

What's your opinion, OP?

[The United Colonies of Earth]

Not really effective.

[Dooom35796821595]

It doesn't work. That is a better argument then any moral argument, since morality is flexible but facts are absolute.

[Ashmoria]

interrogation experts have worked for decades to develop the best techniques for getting information out of unwilling people. torture isn't one of the techniques that turn out to be particularly effective.

[Dinake]

It's essentially useless, inhumane, and more importantly, useless.

[Ashmoria]

It's essentially useless, inhumane, and more importantly, useless.

and most importantly serves as a magnet for the creation of new terrorists who are inspired by the desire to fight evil.

[Bulgar Rouge]

Torture is not useless if applied properly. The problem with it is that it has been labeled an "interrogation technique" when it is nothing more than a terror technique. Interrogation is purely verbal, torture is only used to soften up hardened suspects and to scare off softer suspects into talking faster. It was never devised purely as an information extracting technique and it will never be used efficiently as one.

[Republic of Canador]

Even when I get furious at the perpetrator of a terrorist attack, and wish horrible things upon them, I have to calm myself down and remind myself that I'd be no better than them if I wished them harm.

In my case, reason and morality trumps emotion. This isn't always true for other people.

[Baltenstein]

Morally abhorrent and ineffective.

[Ifreann]

Certain people, for various reasons, enjoy the suffering of others. The only purpose torture serves is to make people like that happy, and I don't see how that is a goal worth pursuing.

[The Portland Territory]

If it works, then yeah, I'd support it. If not, then no.

We just need to do what effectively extracts information out of terrorists

[Ifreann]

If it works, then yeah, I'd support it. If not, then no.

We just need to do what effectively extracts information out of terrorists

That would be 'not torturing them'.

And why just terrorists? Why not all criminals?

[Khadgar]

Ineffective inhumane and tends to be flouted as an easy answer by those who don't actually have any answers at all.

[Tylope]

It doesn't work, and this has been proven. Not to mention the immorality behind it. The way I see it, governments that practice torture are no better than the terrorists.

[Giovenith]

Not only will people who don't actually have information lie in order to end the torture and send our government on wild goose chases, but even people who have information's memory is severely effected by high stress and are likely to relay the information incorrectly due to the torture.

That's not even going into the moral arguments.

[Risottia]

Certain people, for various reasons, enjoy the suffering of others. The only purpose torture serves is to make people like that happy, and I don't see how that is a goal worth pursuing.

Well, one could argue that a job as torturer could serve as a safety valve to keep psychos and sadists under control.
But I guess it's much better to have psychos and sadists serve as maths teachers.

I'm waiting for the new pupils next September. FRESH MEAT.

[Ifreann]

Certain people, for various reasons, enjoy the suffering of others. The only purpose torture serves is to make people like that happy, and I don't see how that is a goal worth pursuing.

Well, one could argue that a job as torturer could serve as a safety valve to keep psychos and sadists under control.
But I guess it's much better to have psychos and sadists serve as maths teachers.

I'm waiting for the new pupils next September. FRESH MEAT.

Exponents for the Exponential God. Logarithms for the Logarithm Throne.

[Skyhooked]

Let's say not all ends justify the means. Resorting to such methods won't be honorable deed. Morals are one of the most important things, that make the difference between terrorists and government.

[Dinake]

It's essentially useless, inhumane, and more importantly, useless.

and most importantly serves as a magnet for the creation of new terrorists who are inspired by the desire to fight evil.

I don't necessarily buy that, but the fact that it's useless is reason enough to get rid of it, even without the moral concerns.

[Hersuria]

Horrible idea.

Now, what is your opinion, op?

[Hesse Darmstadt]

Hey OP, your going to need a better opener.

[Internationalist Bastard]

I'm afainst it on many levels, but the practical side is you rarely get good intel that way

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Stop, Drop, and wait for everyone else to respond so they can say 'oh look, mah thread is popular'. The OP isn't even around, or paying attention, folks. Waste of space, this.

And torture tends to be, by nature, not terribly nice. But you knew that already.

[Wisconsin9]

If it worked, then I could accept using it under certain, very extreme circumstances. But it doesn't work, so fuck that.