Rudy Likes Waterboarding
Rudy Giuliani is facing criticism from fellow candidate John McCain after refusing to call waterboarding torture.
“All I can say is that it was used in the Spanish Inquisition, it was used in Pol Pot’s genocide in Cambodia, and there are reports that it is being used against Buddhist monks today,” Mr. McCain, who spent more than five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, said in a telephone interview.
Of presidential candidates like Mr. Giuliani, who say that they are unsure whether waterboarding is torture, Mr. McCain said: “They should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture.”
I’ve been absolutely disgusted over all this debate over whether or not it’s right for the United States to torture people. In my mind the only question is whether those who allow torture to happen should be tried here or just sent straight to The Hague.
I could go on forever listing why torture is wrong but, for me at least, the strongest argument is this: if we’re willing to sacrifice our decency and founding beliefs of our country in an effort to “protect” it than there is nothing left worth protecting. At that point we are no better than those we’re fighting.
But then, why should my opinion matter when people already refuse to listen to someone that’s experienced torture firsthand and says it isn’t worth it?
Source: McCain on Giuliani and waterboarding - The New York Times - MSNBC.com
October 29th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
David;
So you are willing to allow American’s to die for “decency.” The last time I checked the US Constitution it didn’t mention decency. But you seem to have a firm grasp of terrorist diplomacy tactics that should be employed in the CIA or DoD as soon as possible. Good luck buddy, go get’em.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
But that isn’t the question, is it? Remove the rhetoric and the point remains, torture isn’t worth it. Time and time again torture victims will say anything to get it to stop. Of course it usually isn’t true.
The point also remains that if we torture people we lose our moral high ground. We’ll be no better than those we’re fighting.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:36 am
I won’t argue the moral high ground with you, I actually agree with that.
But is it “worth it”? Seems like there are conflicting points in this one story. One side says they are getting the information they need. The other side says they aren’t. Either you take sides and believe one and call the other a liar or you decide that you just don’t know. I’m in the latter category.
I seldom take sides unless I know. Or, in the case of 2 or 3 people, I’ll take sides. Usually against. It’s hard for me to blindly agree with anyone, but it’s easy for me to disagree with someone who can’t back up their story or backs it up with invented facts.
October 30th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Another concern I have about torture is whether even the belief that the U.S. is torturing people could be increasing terrorist recruitment? If so we might actually just be doing more damage.
I think in this case the burden of proof falls on the Bush Administration. It’s on them to show that torture can save lives and right now they can’t even come up with a consistent answer as to whether they’re even still using torture.