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Reader comment on:
On Waterboarding: Lesser of Two Evils
in response to reader comment: Save the Innocent People

Submitted by John House, Dec 13, 2007 20:07

Popular assessments in the US military and intelligence services described information from torture as unreliable. It would now appear that is not necessarily true.

Our founders proscribed "cruel and unusual" punishment, and that is prudent when those who had the most to fear from an idea were those who held unwarranted or hereditary privilege.

Today we have a great deal to fear from ideas. It is obvious that some ideas are not innocent at all, racism in the United States of the 30s, xenophobia in Japan and Germany of the 30s and 40s, and some religious "theologies" held more recently that attempted to outlaw legitimate science, medicine and political freedom. (I include Mr. bin Laden's views in that statement.)

We need to think of the liberties of conscience and opportunity that we stand for, and what constitutes an actionable threat against them.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment By Date

I would favor waterboarding and cutting of fingers and other tortures if they worked. The facts are that they don't... [MORE]

carl mack 

Dec 14, 2007 23:30

I am frankly quite alarmed by the Mr. Johnston's willingness to ignore the effects of psychological torture. Oppressive regimes around... [MORE]

ARich 

Dec 14, 2007 14:23

The Bill of Rights only applies to citizens and legal aliens under areas of U.S. jurisdiction. I have no problem with... [MORE]

PRN 

Dec 13, 2007 21:15

any one tried being the person being water boarded? or any other 'severe' method of interrogation? let me (and countless... [MORE]

B Cohen 

Dec 13, 2007 18:52

I personally could care less if the CIA use waterboarding to gain information from terrorists who have vowed to kill... [MORE]

Gene 

Dec 13, 2007 16:32

There are several reasons that making aggressive interrogation illegal is a bad idea. It will not prevent terrorists from killing... [MORE]

Winfred Mann 

Dec 13, 2007 14:52

Popular assessments in the US military and intelligence services described information from torture as unreliable. It would now appear that...

John House 

Dec 13, 2007 20:07

U.S. interrogation techniques are NOT torture, period. Those who are saying differently are incompetent or asserting propaganda for political benefit... [MORE]

Dr Coles 

Dec 13, 2007 14:18

Mr. Johnson is absolutely correct. We have defined torture down. Every candidate for the presidency should be asked the following... [MORE]

Michael J. Clowes 

Dec 13, 2007 14:08

Once again, a Sun contributor dares to confound current thinking with the truth. Bravo Mr. Johnson! Physically removed, and insulated... [MORE]

John Spencer Yantiss 

Dec 13, 2007 11:51

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