The justice department has begun investigating and reviewing cases of “enhanced interrogation techniques” for any evidence of illegal activity. Naturally this has roused the ire of modern torture’s greatest advocate, former Vice President Dick Cheney. “It’s clearly a political move. There’s no other rationale for why they’re doing this.” Statements like this give the impression that it’s beyond Cheney’s comprehension that anyone could honestly believe torture to be ineffective in producing actionable intelligence. I bet Mr. Cheney is a big fan of 24.
Mr Cheney, like many defenders of this practice, seem to operate under the idea that those they see as “evil” can be consistently and methodically made to confess their “sins” after they experience enough pain. It doesn’t take that much research to find vaguely relevant scripture (a fundamentalist’s go-to tactic when faced with disagreement) and even historical examples of this mentality.
Of course rather than defend his side of the issue with anything but the vaguest of rationalizations, he instead prefers (and has preferred) to consider any dissent against torture or accountability for those who practice it as partisan whining by those who have no idea how to protect America. It’s inconsequential to him that torture galvanizes radical opposition, results in false information, encourages enemy use of torture, and every once in a while it will inevitably be used on innocent people.
Now there are a ton of reasons I could parade out about why torture is wrong, both religious and secular. For a minute though, let’s set aside any questions about the effectiveness, precise definition, and the long term implications. What it all comes down to after that hinges on one precept: We claim to be the good guys. The good guys don’t take the easy way out. The good guys don’t perpetuate fear and use it as a means to abandon the civility and humanity which they claim separates them from that which they fight.
This debate is nothing new, even to a relatively young nation such as America. The Salem witch trials, slavery, the Phoenix Program, police brutality against minorities and homosexuals; these all have common elements. They were rationalized during their respective times, but time has shown them to be distasteful, reprehensible, and regrettable. This trend has already begun. It’s only a matter of time before those who defend the use of torture this time around are seen for what they are: short sighted fools willing to take the easy way out rather than rise above. Hopefully this investigation by the Justice Department will illuminate this.
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