Torture gets results -- just not the kind you want (LTTE)

[struggle4progress]

Published: Monday, May 4, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 11:51 p.m.

Torture is a great way to get a confession. It is not a good way to get information.

If the difference is unclear, consider the example of John McCain. The Vietnamese never gained valuable information by torturing him. When they pressed for the names of his fellow sailors, he listed the Green Bay Packers starting lineup; when they pressed him for future American targets, he gave the names of places that had already been bombed.

What the NVA did get from torturing John McCain was this, in his own handwriting: "I am a black criminal and I have performed the deeds of an air pirate. I have bombed schools. I almost died and the Vietnamese people saved my life, thanks to the doctors."

The only possible use of such a confession is propaganda ... http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090504/ARTICLES/905045017?Title=Torture-gets-results-just-not-the-kind-you-want

[annabanana]

1. excellent. . . .. . n/t

[bulloney]

2. Explain that, would you, Hannity? Oh, and have you and Olberman set a waterboarding date yet?

Didn't think so, you big pussy!

[Jeep789]

3. Been proven time and time again that people will admit

to anything whether true or not when tortured. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Any kid can tell you that anyone that is the least bit ticklish can be coerced into saying anything with just a tickle. Cheney could have gotten the same info by mere tickling and it still would have been useless.

[tanyev]

4. Oh, but John McCain is a heroic American.

Of course he was clever enough to make up information while being tortured. Those uncivilized Muslim terra-ists who want to kill us all in our beds would never be able to think of anything like that.



:sarcasm:

[pmorlan1]

5. Condi Rice and torture

Did you guys see the Condi Rice story this morning? I did a blog post about this morning.

http://democracity.blogspot.com/2009/05/torture-rice-tries-to-have-it-both-ways.html