IF OBJECTIVE IS TO PUNISH, TORTURE WORKS

Asking the question, “Does torture work”, misses the point; it is a matter of our humanity. The question should be, “Is hurting or causing misery to another person ever justified?” To some, it may seem to be the same as the question, “Is homicide ever justifiable?” Of course, taking a life in defense of ones life is justifiable; however, the question will always be was it necessary; therefore, justified? Only society can make that judgment.

In the eyes of Dick Cheney, and those of the same mindset, who set aside their humanity and labor under the impression that torture will “usually” result in people telling the truth without qualifying that judgment by saying 0% of the time or 100% of the time. Again, this misses the point, which is, what percentage of the time does the victim not tell the truth by saying 0% verses 100% of the time? The slippery slope in either case in making those judgments is how important is the truth. No one can know which is why we face the problem in the first place. It should be obvious to all, that the reasons advanced in such arguments will be made to fit the individuals preconceive notions about torture; therefore, there is no answer.

Substitute the word ‘punishment’ for the word ‘torture’ and you introduce and entirely new dimension; yet the words are interchangeable up to the point of sadism, which is where there is pleasure in torture. We know that we can alter animal, as well as human, behavior with reward and punishment, which leads us to believe there is an answer to the torture question when we know there isn’t. We also accept the idea that the “punishment should fit the crime”, which is the same idea as “the more important the information the more severe the torture methods that would be justified”. The central theme of this blog post is how can there be an answer to that question if the person is innocent or knows nothing.

I was intrigued by a big tough talking Congressman, now ex-congressman, from Florida who off handedly remarked during a debate on this issue, as it concerned Muslim non-combatants, that “even if they were not guilty the deserved the punishment”. I strongly suspect that would be Dick Cheney’s response as well. Left-handed people should be punished, gay people should be punished, black people should be punished, Muslims should be punished . . .   

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