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Thursday, November 16, 2006

Torture and inciting to riot


"Water Boarding: The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt."

"CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in."Source

If you follow the link to the source of these excerpts you will also come across this sentence, "Exhaustion and sleep deprivation are effective in yielding confessions."

The term "yielding a confession" is remarkable in its utter objectvity that harkens to the sense of obtaining a product. Farmers get crop yields for example. The Senator yields the floor to his rival. Its similar to the term harvest.

Another article on waterboarding from the Washigton Post

Here waterboarding is characterized as a "powerful tool." If you carry the direction of this rational a little further than an atomic bomb is a "powerful tool."

Our associations with tools are usually ones that are positive in nature. Tools are used to build, to produce constructive and creative products, like houses, sculptures, clothing and such. It goes against the grain of the creative imagination to hear torture referred to as a tool. In a sense not only is the victim of torture affected and in my estimation immorally abused, but we are abused as well when the associations that produce such harmony and value in our lives are then connected to such brutality. In this context you could refer to rape as a tool. Considering that some forms of torture involve sexual acts this has already occurred.

Recall the story about the man who sent white powder in envelopes to various democratic politicians and liberal leaning pundits. If you follow the story a bit further you find that the accused was also a devout follower of extreme conservatives Malkin and Coulter.

My question here is pretty simple, isn't there a law against inciting people to riot?

From NY courts on inciting to riot.

The Federal law defintion is tighter

Image: humiliation masks used in medieval torture

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