Our own Pew Research poll on torture

[Kelvin Mace]

I am curious to see how DU compares to the general population, so I am asking the same question Pew did about torture:

Do you think the use of torture against suspected terrorists in order to gain important information can be justified:

[Vincardog]

1. the use of torture is NEVER justified

[ShortnFiery]

5. If I hear that "ticking time bomb" or "woman interrogator" could be

sued Bull Shit arguments again, I'm going to scream. :(
Dumb A** Sociopaths!

The odds are that many of these "Devil's Reject" Republicans enjoyed torturing small animals as children. :grr:

[Kelvin Mace]

8. "Woman interrogator" ?

I missed that one.

[ShortnFiery]

9. They used an inane example of why they needed to clarify Article 3

of the Geneva Conventions:

That horse's patootie Rep. Bohner repeated over and over, How muslim men would consider it "an outrage" to their persons if a woman interrogator attempted to question them.

Oh my! Like that would go anywhere in a lawsuit. But that's the stupid example they used to justify clarifying ... They will now allow Women Interrogators and, better yet, Water-boarding.

It's a superficial argument but it's assumed that Americans are so FRIGHTENED, that we care only about ourselves - the Geneva Conventions be damned! :shrug:

[Kelvin Mace]

2. Please keep kicked

and encourage fellow DUers to vote take the poll.

[ShortnFiery]

3. I heard one woman who claimed to be a mother of an active

duty troop call into CSPAN this afternoon. Her voice was dripping with venom citing the two troops who IMO were abandoned to the enemy, i.e., left out in the open to stand guard. Suspicious, to say the least. :shrug: She implied that terrorists were deserving of all that we can give since they do that to us. Are we, as Americans become so damn scared that we have lost all humanity?

To hear another woman talk so vicious and blood thirsty saddened me beyond words. :cry:

Damn these Fear Mongering Republican Ghouls. We are giving up our liberties and treating other human beings as well, less than human. :(

[bluedog]

4. they forget...now other countries can amend

the laws to suit their needs...........God help our troops............

[sweetheart]

6. hey 'rarely', you must be proud

step forward and name yourself to be tortured to see why you said 'rarely'.

[TahitiNut]

10. Must be another one of them "values voters"

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[AnneD]

7. I was in a Psyop Unit

with interragators. It is never a good idea. Just sitting them down and making them listen to Paris Hilton's album over and over will make em crack. Not really....
A tortured person will say anything to make the pain stop-so how accurate is that. And if you can't get accurate info, what's the point?
If we allow torture of prisoners in our care, then it is open season on our soldiers.
This whole debate is the most shameful thing I have ever scene. I am pissed at the GOP-but then that is the way they seem to be thinking these days. But my outrage is reserved for the Dems voting for this...THEY SHOULD KNOW BETTER!!!!!!!!

[ShortnFiery]

11. Agreed! And since you've trashed any positive relationship

by initially torturing the person. You are going to have to TORTURE them for all follow up clarifications. And yes, the information is only what they think that we want to hear, not accurate in the least. Ain't that a hoot? :sarcasm:

But sh*t, that FICTIONAL show "24" reveals that it works. Dammit it should work because it works on 24!!!

Dumb ASS talk show hosts and Legislators live in a fantasy world of 24 and other B.S. spy thrillers. Hello! Just like you don't fire your weapon without cover, you don't beat valid information out of prisoners. With the former, you're dead - and - with the latter, your forward patrolling troops will be subjected to EXACTLY what you do to "the alleged terrorists." It all comes back to us. :( :puke:

[TheWraith]

12. If you have somebody who has just planted a bomb, and you don't know where

In a situation where you have a severely limited amount of time to acquire information that will save people's lives, there's a very good argument to be made that you do whatever is neccessary to obtain the information.

The catch is, exceptions like that are already written into the law. So any need to change the rules pretty clearly states that these are NOT those kinds of situations.

Not to mention the fact that in extreme cases, there are some techniques which have proven more effective than torture without having the same level of barbarism. The use of drugs in various forms of narco-interrogation, for instance. Sodium Amytal, the famous "truth serum," is just one example of this. If it's neccessary to go even further, the CIA did research in the 50s and 60s on barbituate/stimulant cocktails that will pretty much turn a person into an open book, with the unfortunate side effect of being often fatal to the subject.

When such options are available, the use of physical torture and humiliation, even in extreme cases, speaks to the mentality of the people making the decisions.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. I've said before

if you think you have a good reason to torture someone, then torture away, save the day, then turn yourself in for arrest and prosecution. You can then explain to the jury your reasons. If it is as critical as you claim, then you will be acquitted.

[sweetheart]

14. an honest plea

There is a power to an honest plea on behalf of honest persons,
to please please the ultimate carrot rather than cross the line
that the could cross... make your honest plea.. if its not good enough and involves
torture, then what good is it? The new honesty is enforced by torture, crime by
suspicion and bugaboo fears where FDR had banished fear like the wiser man he was.

[Kelvin Mace]

15. I am still waiting for a SINGLE example

of torture ever saving lives.

[sweetheart]

17. Your mother's labour torture saved your life

God tortured her so you, "the secret" would come out and enlighten uz all.

[Kelvin Mace]

18. but mom said i came

from under a cabbage leafe....

[Cleita]

16. They aren't interested in information. They have all the information

because IMO they created all this quagmire themselves. That's just what they tell us to justify this barbarism. Their real purpose is to turn the terrorists and Iraqis into frightened mice. Someone really needs to give them a clue. All they are doing is creating a new generation of American hating Jihadists.

Look at Israel. Those tactics really worked well for the Likkud right wingers with the Palestinians, didn't they?

[Kelvin Mace]

19. kick for the day shift

[depakid]

20. The way that question is framed

is deceptive- it suggests a false premise- and so draws out invalid answers.

Typical.

This is the reason why most polls out there like this are bullshit.

[Kelvin Mace]

21. I have a problem with the way the question is framed

in that it is dishonest about the issue.

I will post another poll about the question later worded as *I* would word it.

I just hope to get more people voting in the poll.

[Kelvin Mace]

22. kick for the night shift