How certain would you need to be?

[RobinFinderson]

How certain would you have to be that a detainee had useful information before you would subject him/her to waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and other 'enhanced interrogation techniques' that when combined constitute torture? Please vote on the minimum degree of personal certainty required before you would personally subject another human to these techniques.

[Guest]

We shouldn't use torture.

But if someone in an intelligence field thinks it's required, evidence needs to be presented to a judge - like the FISA courts - to approve it (not an original idea).

With this said, waterboarding is clearly torture, but I don't see prolonged standing or sleep deprivation as torture.

[falafel]

We shouldn't use torture.

But if someone in an intelligence field thinks it's required, evidence needs to be presented to a judge - like the FISA courts - to approve it (not an original idea).

With this said, waterboarding is clearly torture, but I don't see prolonged standing or sleep deprivation as torture.

I'm not sure how waterboarding is torture. Despite the person being in an extremely uncomfortable situation and possibly fearing for their life (when their life is apparently not in any real danger), I don't think its torture. I mean, its water on your face.

[FN Phat]

I'm not sure how waterboarding is torture. Despite the person being in an extremely uncomfortable situation and possibly fearing for their life (when their life is apparently not in any real danger), I don't think its torture. I mean, its water on your face.

There is no doubt that it is torture. And I am okay with that if it is a means to gain useful information that will save lives or intelligence.

[UtahDan]

How certain would you have to be that a detainee had useful information before you would subject him/her to waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and other 'enhanced interrogation techniques' that when combined constitute torture? Please vote on the minimum degree of personal certainty required before you would personally subject another human to these techniques.

Where am I encountering this person? On a battlefield I assume?

[Coach McGuirk]

I always think of torture as the mafia style torture. Like smashing your hand with a hammer, or putting your head in a vise, beating you on the head with a phone, busting your knee caps.

I don't think we should do any of that.

[falafel]

There is no doubt that it is torture. And I am okay with that if it is a means to gain useful information that will save lives or intelligence.

Well, I have some doubt. I doubt we can come to an accepted definition of the term, but I think that torture has to involve some sort of physical pain, probably serious physical pain and/or danger of serious bodily injury/death.

Otherwise it gets too subjective. Like that dude who was afraid of insects. I was seriously surprised they didn't use that bit of info. Would the country be up in arms if we threw a few crickets in there with the guy?