Maybe none of them ever cheated on their spouse, just as some of the people the CIA have water-boarded were not terrorists after all. But hey, guilty people always deny guilt when first asked, so one must ask repeatedly, water-board them repeatedly until they cough up the assumption(s) -- true or otherwise.
Here's how I imagine these demonstration sessions would go:
Senator Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, is strapped to a water-board in the well of the Senate. Interrogators lay a terry cloth towel over his face, lean the board back and begin pouring copious amounts of water over the towel. As the towel becomes soaked Senator McConnell finds it impossible to breathe. He coughs, then starts choking. He tries to turn his head to each side but blocks prevent it. He struggles but his hands and legs are strapped to the board. He suddenly realizes he's on for the full ride.
Just as the Senator appears ready to black out, the two interrogators remove the towel and raise the board. A doctor checks the Senators' pulse and blood pressure. In a couple of seconds McConnell is coughing, spitting and breathing again.
The senator opens his eyes showing real panic as they dart from side to side.
Interrogator: "Have you ever cheated on your wife?."
Sen. McConnell: "No, no, really, I never did. Never did. So, fine. I see how it works. Now please untie me."
Interrogator: "Ah, not in the mood to talk yet. Okay, have it your way, Senator. Jack, lower the board again."
Sen. McConnell: "Whoa fellas! Not again. No. Wait. Please wait. Okay. Fine. Yes, yes, sure I cheated. Yep I did. Now untie me."
Interrogator: "Not so fast, partner. All you've told us so far is that -- as we suspected -- you cheated on your wife. Now we need to know how many times and with whom."
Sen. McConnell: "Okay guys, this has gone far enough. I get the point. It's torture. People will say anything to get you to stop. Okay. I get it. Whatya want me to say and I'll say it. Now let me off this damn board."
Interrogator: Oh, I wish it was that easy, Senator. But when we water-board suspected terrorists we are told we must connect the dots. You remember connecting the dots, don't you? If we let everyone off for giving us a nugget or two, well, that wouldn't do at all, now would it? We have to finish our interrogation. Now, one more time Senator, how many times did you cheat and we want names."
Senator McConnell: "Never and with nobody. This is stupid!. I just said that so you'd untie me."
Interrogator: "Okay Jack, lower the board."
Senator McConnell: No, no, NO! Wait. Okay. Many times. More than I can count. You wanna know with who? Okay, I did Madeline Albright, Helen Keller, Mother Teresa, (twice, missionary position, of course,) -- Ophra, Jackie Kennedy.... ah, all the DC Madams' hookers and, one night -- while Larry Craig and I were out drinking -- a strangely attractive ewe. Now, let me go!
The Senator is released.
"None of what I said was true," McConnell shouts when free. "None of that would stand up in a court of law."
Stephen Pizzo has been published everywhere from The New York Times to Mother Jones magazine. His book, Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans, was nominated for a Pulitzer.
Great idea. Water board Murtha. Get him to confess to all the payoffs he is getting from people he is getting earmarks for. I would pay to see that.
We could come up with a bipartisan list of people we could water board on TV in the well of the House. Boy oh boy. Put it on Fox since no one watches the other channels. We could have one a week. Wink Martindale could host the show. We could alternate parties. Do all the candidates too.
Maybe we could get a decent congress out of the deal and learn what a cruel torture technique it is at the same time. A two-fer. People watching will be outraged that we actually might have used these techniques against people who want to kill us all.
Note: If I had evidence that someone was going to blow up say the preschool on the corner with my grandchild in it, that person would be praying that someone was waterboarding him before I got through with him. Sorry.
by
Mad Jayhawk (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 411 comments)
on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 1:53:12 PM
This is precisely the kind of neo-con braggadocio that got us stuck in the mess we are today. (You remember, "Bring-em on," I'm sure.) How are you going to feel if, in the next war, the enemy starts waterboarding our captured soldiers? Will that be okay with you too?
As for members of both parties who could use a thorough hosing, I have no argument with that -- conceptually that is.
Steve
by
Stephen Pizzo (99 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 32 comments)
on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 3:42:10 PM
The enemy beheads our soldiers, drags them through the street or hangs them from bridges certainly doesn't deserve to be water boarded. We certainly do not want to hurt any of these poor hapless people since we are so morally superior than they are.
Silly cynicism aside What does it take for interrogation to be successful and how far does should the interrogator be allowed to go? That is the question.
I think that torture should be used if the situation calls for it. It is pretty much a judgement call that more than one person needs to sign off on in my opinion. If the stakes are high, say 100,000 people at a football stadium could die, then I think if it were my decision I would say do whatever is necessary up to and including water boarding and/or removing body parts to get a person to cooperate. Anyone who has qualms about doing something like that shouldn't be in charge.
The use of torture in all but unusal cases should be extremely limited but it shouldn't be off the table. People being interrogated have to know this or else they will certainly limit their cooperation. Fear of being torture could be a strong motivating factor.
People get tortured every day in a variety of ways. I was being tortured at work at one time. My boss was causing me severe mental anguish. Maybe she thought I needed to be tortured or maybe it was just PMS. It would great if we could wave some sort of magic wand and do away of not only all forms of torture but the need for it. We, however, live in a real world and that ain't going to happen.
Keep in mind that a lot of people are against torture just because they hate Bush and when they discuss torture they always will invoke Bush's name in one form or another as if that has anything to do with whether torture should or should not be used. Bush haters are basically insane you know and I feel sorry for them because in a year they won't have Bush to kick around however I have noticed efforts to switch Bush hatred over to Rudy hatred so the haters won't have to go to bed unhappy after Jan 2009 if Rudy is nominated and wins. Semi-intelligent Bush haters probably realize that they are essentially wasting their time now hating someone who is a short-timer and are looking around for their next hate project. Rudy is a better target because Bush appears to be a amiable guy that keeps taking punches like tarbaby and I don't think Rudy is all that amiable.
by
Mad Jayhawk (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 411 comments)
on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 5:54:00 PM
This is the trap. The abused turns abuser. The oppressed, turns oppressor. Either we are better than our enemies, or we are the same as our enemies. America's strength has stood on two pillars: military strength and moral strength. Our soldiers did not torture or summarily execute prisoners, at least not legally. The Germans did. The Japanese did. The US prosecuted a Japanese officer accused of waterboarding an American soldier. In Vietnam several GIs were dishonorably discharged for it.
That's the America I prefer. Not your "well they do it" version. They do a lot of things I don't like. What will you be feeling comfortable about next, beheadings?
Sorry man. But you and your president have taken us down a path that we will regret and be ashamed of for generations. And shame on you for aiding and abetting.
Steve
by
Stephen Pizzo (99 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 32 comments)
on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 6:40:45 PM
4 comments
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