Comments on: “But Torture Works!” No, It Doesn’t.

By: Palli

Palli — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:54:57 +0000

There’s another reason for the executive administration to order, suggest, condone torture. These civilians people: Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush etc., needed to know who in the military structure they could trust…which military generals would be loyal to their criminal ends…or be blackmailed into supporting them. Condoning torture (looking the other way) is an easy people management tool for frustrated and angry soldiers and an excellent blackmail tool for officiers who can’t or won’t control the troops. The war can’t end until our energy corporations get the oil so we can’t allow the GIs to start thinking they could be temporary peace corps workers. Sort of like the loyalty test of gangsters.
Civilian governments that do illegal things have to bolstered and protected by a loyal military just as military juntas need their military.
Harpers magazine more than a year ago wrote an article about a symposium on the idea of an American coup d’etat. It was very interesting and showed important military minds thinking aloud about their role in a democracy.

By: selise

selise — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:43:39 +0000

sorry i missed it!… and now you will miss mine here… will keep an eye out for you and ask what your question was. my apologies!

By: PaytonsOpa

PaytonsOpa — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:44:05 +0000

I know the thread is over, just killing time before work. Where did you see a joke about gays or women? The joke about men being pigs was made contextually after a statement about which head men think with. As a man myself I do not believe it but it is a joke. Do you have a favorite comedian?

By: shawnfassett

shawnfassett — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:47:32 +0000

Was that rumor of us kidnapping KSM’s kids and torturing them in front of him ever disspelled??

By: rich2506

rich2506 — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:44:31 +0000

The people who get their knowledge of the world from watch FOX’s 24

Many, many years ago, I watched an Italian porno film. One of the male performers did something rude to one of the female performers, slapped her lightly I think, and the fellows watching the film in front of me laughed uproariously as the woman took off her blouse anyway (Obviously, the women these fellows dealt with would have hit the rude guy right back and stomped off). We all knew the plot was ridiculous and served just to get the characters naked and busy. Why does “24″ feature scenes where torture is effective? Same reason. It’s a show!! You can make the characters do whatever you want!
What’s really sad, though, is to see people like Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia defending and minimizing torture, as though “24″ were more than just a #$@& TV show. Some people need to have a better sense of reality.

By: Quebecois

Quebecois — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:11:25 +0000

Fischer, Opa,

Jokes about gays and women are not welcomed here. When you go after guys, when you generalise, when you pull a “joke” or a smear against men, all men,when you use sensitive, well you bring back the discourse of this blog fifty years back. You act like retrogrades, like republicans, as if it doesn’t matter. By the way, I’m not sensitive, I’M respectful of women, and I expect the same treatment. Stay the fuck away from me.

By: Fern

Fern — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:10:39 +0000

Nope.

By: Beerfart Liberal

Beerfart Liberal — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:08:44 +0000

did i start that double standard shit?

sorry.

By: wobblybits

wobblybits — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:07:17 +0000

absolutoodolutely

By: PaytonsOpa

PaytonsOpa — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 03:06:34 +0000

I agree 100%. There is right and wrong and there is the law. They are not necessarily the same. BUT-if you choose to violate the law you must accept the consequences, been there myself. Fight to change unjust laws.