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arcana imperii :: the book of j

4.5.11

Enhanced interrogations and torture

Do "enhanced methods of questioning" = torture? I couldn't debate the issue without a clear and exact definition of both terms and knowing which methods were used to obtain what intelligence.

Deep down what I ask myself is whether torture is effective in extracting truth. A prosoner can always lie to try to end the pain, especially if they don't know the information being requested of him. If my daughter were buried alive and an uncooperative perpetrator were in custody I would want him tortured for the chance of learning her location and saving her. If he lied and my daughter died I'd like the kidnapper summarily executed. And those monsters that killed Matthew Shepard. And so many others. Yet my instinct is to oppose capital punishment and torture. HTe thought of an innocent person to be put to death is rather unbearable.

This is difficult.

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