McCain "the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies..."

[pat_k]

Last edited Sat Sep 1, 2018, 02:45 AM - Edit history (1)

This Is How a Prisoner of War Feels About Torture

"I know from personal experience that the abuse of prisoners will produce more bad than good intelligence. I know that victims of torture will offer intentionally misleading information if they think their captors will believe it. I know they will say whatever they think their torturers want them to say if they believe it will stop their suffering."

McCain added (emphatically) that "the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies, our belief that all people, even captured enemies, possess basic human rights."

C-SPAN Video (McCain's comments start at 2:25:00)

"The truth is sometimes a hard pill to swallow. It sometimes causes us difficulties at home and abroad. It is sometimes used by our enemies to hurt us. But the American people are entitled to it, nonetheless. They must know when the values that define our nation are intentionally disregarded by our security policies, even those policies that are conducted in secret. They must be able to make informed judgements..."

I haven't found a specific quote from McCain expressing regret for his 2008 support for Bush's veto of the bill banning torture within the intelligence services, but given his comments in 2014, I think it might be safe to say he regretted his failure to stand up for the ban.

[PaulX2]

1. Taking The Children Is Torture

McCain would know.

[greyl]

2. Since when have broad "human rights" been a Republican ideal?

If only John were a Democrat in the seventies, he would have been a great one in his eighties.
He fell in with the wrong crowd back home.

[pat_k]

3. Yep.

Where people came down on torture was defining. I just wanted to highlight that he was one of the few Republicans that came down on the side of the values the "greatest generation" fought for... even if his anti-torture stance wasn't strong enough in 2008 for him to condemn Bush for vetoing the torture ban. His moral compass may have been off, but at least he had one.

[greyl]

4. right on. nt