Waterboarding
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We hear an awful lot about waterboarding these days. Is it or isn’t it torture? Do you know what it involves?
There is an awful lot of discussion in the media and political debates these days about waterboarding. There is a great disagreement about whether it is or whether it is not torture. But while the media and the politicians are carrying on about it, few have paused to explain to the American people exactly what it is. Want to know? Well, read on, dear friend, and I shall tell you.
First, the prisoner is laid out on an inclined board with his or her head pointed downward. The prisoner’s feet and hands are tied, and a cloth or plastic covering is placed over the subject’s face. At this point, water is poured over the face. Because of the way the body is positioned, the subject feels as if they are drowning. The victim immediately begins to gag and the fear of death overtakes them. Although it leaves no visible physical damage, the risks include damage to the lungs, brain damage due to prolonged deprivation of oxygen, and in rare cases, death.
CIA officers who have subjected themselves to this treatment have lasted an average of a mere 14 seconds before deciding that they cannot take any more.
So, now that you know what exactly it is, do you believe it is torture?
2 Comments
There is no question that it is torture, and anyone denying it should look up the dictionary. The problem you need to ask is if the end justify the means. People argue that if it obtains intelligence to save lives, then do it. That is a misconception.
Intelligence obtained from torture is known to be very unreliable. Torture a man long enough and he will tell you what you want to hear. After that, the government then advertise to the people that they just prevented a terrorist attack. It creates too much room for abuse. You cannot claim moral high ground if you methods are as brutal as those you fight with.
Another thing is that the concept of War on Terror is completely misleading. To have a war, you need a clearly defined enemy. In this case, you are fighting an elusive concept and label. It’s a fight with no chance of “victory”.
I also don’t think that there is a question that it is torture. The question I stated at the end is more rhetorical, I don’t see how anyone who knows what it is can claim it isn’t torture.
I also agree with your other comments 100%. And there is another issue I want to address, which is the lies of the Administration. Whether or not one believes in torture, I don’t see how they can get behind an administration that says, “The United States does not torture … oh, but we do practice waterboarding.”