The true purpose of torture (US style)

[Benbow]

Sickening.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/guantanamo/story/0,13743,1483893,00.html

This is torture's true purpose: to terrorise - not only the people in Guantánamo's cages and Syria's isolation cells but also, and more importantly, the broader community that hears about these abuses. Torture is a machine designed to break the will to resist - the individual prisoner's will and the collective will.

<snip>

In 2001 the US NGO Physicians for Human Rights published a manual on treating torture survivors that noted: "Perpetrators often attempt to justify their acts of torture and ill-treatment by the need to gather information. Such conceptualisations obscure the purpose of torture ... The aim of torture is to dehumanise the victim, break his/her will, and at the same time set horrific examples for those who come in contact with the victim. In this way, torture can break or damage the will and coherence of entire communities."

Yet despite this body of knowledge, torture continues to be debated in the United States as if it were merely a morally questionable way to extract information, not an instrument of state terror.

<snip>

And the only sensible explanation for torture's persistent popularity comes from a most unlikely source. Lynndie England, the fall girl for Abu Ghraib, was asked during her botched trial why she and her colleagues had forced naked prisoners into a human pyramid. "As a way to control them," she replied.

Exactly. As an interrogation tool, torture is a bust. But when it comes to social control, nothing works quite like torture.

[Benbow]

1. remember Martin Niemoeller

May I say to Americans reading this - remember Martin Niemoeller:

"When they came for the communists, I was silent, because I was not a communist;
When they came for the socialists, I was silent, because I was not a socialist;
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not protest, because I was not a trade unionist;
When they came for the Jews, I did not protest, because I was not a Jew;
When they came for me, there was no one left to protest on my behalf."

Your Government is into "social control" of its own citizens. The US torturers are not going to restrict themselves to torturing Muslims. I don't know how much time you have left to make your country alter course away from barbarism.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. True purpose in 3 words: WHO'S YOUR DADDY?!

[Disturbed]

3. Public Executions.

Same purpose. The Bush Junta is not much different than most other Regimes of Power. The do whatever they feel that they can get away with to control the Empire and stay in power. I am guessing that most Amerikans. although not enthusiastic about torturing the enemy, is not vehemtly oppossed.

[baldguy]

4. They need to keep al Qaeda supplied with recruits.

And thus keep Americans afraid.

[Hubert Flottz]

5. Sounds about like the way Saddam operated!

Or the GESTAPO!

This says it all!

http://www.cafepress.com/devillikeprod.14703079

[many a good man]

6. Torturing liberals

I feel tortured just knowing that my country is responsible for such brazen acts of inhumanity.

Its just another aspect of the black psy ops campaign being perpetrated against the American people. We feel distressed and frustrated at our powerlessness to break through the media filter and the cultural acquiesence that tolerates this brutal primitive practice to continue in our name. I fear history will judge us harshly...