Quote:
Originally posted by Spanky
:bs:
This has got to be one of the dumbest rationalizations I have ever heard. If torture doesn't work, fine, then we won't use it. If you think torture works, but the benefits it accrues are outweighed by the negatives that is also an argument that has weight.
But to say that legalizing torture is bad because it takes the necessity off self sacrifice away from the soldiers on the war on terror. Are you kidding me?
These guys sacrifice enough. Why do we need to make their lives even more difficult? They could probably have much higher paying jobs in the private sector and they risk their lives daily for their country. Why should we make the lives even more difficult than it already is? Why we would make them face the possibility of criminal charges for doing the right thing? We want to encourage them to do what is in the interest of this country, not discourage them.
The CIA has asked for clear parameters on what it can do, and you don't want to give it to them because it makes them less heroic? After all the sacrifices these guys make you want to put them in the position of having to worry about prosecution if they do the right thing?
First this person says: "Real patriots will break the law for the greater good and proudly face the music for their actions." Yes - but if they do something for the greater good why should they "have to face the music". Wouldn't it be better to set up a system where if they did something for the better good they are actually rewarded? Don’t we want to encourage, not discourage them, from doing things for the greater good.
The author in his breathtaking stupidity says: "Sometimes we have to do things that are wrong, but making the wrong lawful cheapens the choice." This is such twisted morality. If we have to do it then it is not wrong. Torturing someone to get information to save the lives of innocent people is not wrong. If it is wrong, we shouldn’t do it.
And to top off the stupidity of this statement: "Bush and other businessmen don't understand this because they come from a culture of greed." No the author doesn't understand this because they don't care at all about the people that are sacrificing for this country. To make their jobs more difficult to insure that their jobs are "more heroic" shows such a disregard for these patriots that is breathtaking. With friends like these who needs enemies? Bush and his friends that “are from the culture of greed” understand morality on a much deeper and saner level than the idiot that wrote this article ever could.
This is the part I love: "If the consequences are removed then Harry becomes a meter maid." So Dirty Harry risks his life by capturing a criminal and then saves a human life but because there is no chance he will face prosecution he is just a meter maid? How many meter maids do you know that risk their lives to save people. But according to the author it is not enough that he risks his life, and saves other lives, he also has to face the possibility of prosecution to be heroic.
He says that we are "cheapening the acts of patriotism" if people don't have to face consequences if they do them. How can an act of patriotism be cheap? Isn't it enough to do the right thing? We have to make it more difficult and make it harmful to the person that does it to give it weight? Why don't we just throw a cop in jail every time he does his job well? That sure would un-cheapen every act of patriotism.
Ty - are you sure this letter wasn't a parody. Can anyone really think like this and expect to be taken seriously? Did my sarcasm alarm not go off again?
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Not surprisingly, the message sailed right over your head. The point was that the use of extreme measures may be justified by an individual actor, basing the decision on his conscience and his willingness to have the courage of his convictions. You seldom display much of either.
When the state sanctions torture, it renders inconsequential an action that should be measured against the full measure of the consequences and the benefits. It cheapens the action and the actor. In doing so, it increases the likelihood that torture will be used and and the likelihood that it will be used inappropriately.
