Originally Posted by
Darthtang AW
http:///forum/post/3025519
Ok seriously, Clemson kid, firestorm and sickboy, define (in YOUR opinion) what is torture and what is interrogation. And the difference between the two. Seriously think about this before you answer....
tor⋅ture   /ˈtɔrtʃər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [tawr-cher] Show IPA noun, verb, -tured, -tur⋅ing.
–noun 1. the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.
2. a method of inflicting such pain.
3. Often, tortures. the pain or suffering caused or undergone.
4. extreme anguish of body or mind; agony.
5. a cause of severe pain or anguish.
in⋅ter⋅ro⋅ga⋅tion   /ɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [in-ter-uh-gey-shuhn] Show IPA
–noun 1. the act of interrogating; questioning.
2. an instance of being interrogated: He seemed shaken after his interrogation.
3. a question; inquiry.
4. a written list of questions.
5. an interrogation point; question mark.
It would seem to be that the key is pain. For me, anything I would not have wanted my soldiers subjected to if they were captured is something I would not have felt comfortable doing myself. I'm not saying battlefield atrocities do not occur - and am well aware that they do. But for state-sanctioned torture?
Someone, forgive me for forgetting whom while mid-post, asked me what I thought made this country great - said that I only pointed out its faults. Unfortunately, I consider torture to be a great fault of this country, and it may have clouded my message. It is a hot button for me - I never consider it acceptable.
This country is great for many reasons, far to many to list. The fact that we have a great standard of life, the fact that we can have this debate at all, the fact that we just had a peaceful transition between rulers with obvious differences in policy, our faith (and the fact that there isn't one accepted faith).
But we also have our faults, and, imo, the ability to recognize those faults and correct them is one of our greatest strengths. We've had our dark days, our stains on the American ideal. America is more than a nation, its a set of ideals - not all of them practical to implement when written, and some more difficult to maintain than others; but that is the unattainable goal - it is in striving to meet that goal that we see America at its greatest.
Conservatism, Liberalism, right-wingers, left-wingers = as I've said before - no ideology fits anyone 100%, imo, unless they're just following the leader. Conservatism points out what we've done well in the past, Liberalism points out where we've done poorly in the past. Conservatism wants to maintain the present or turn back the clock, Liberalism wants to improve upon our faults but often is better at pointing out those faults than planning to improve/pay for them. I try to have no ideology except what works. If there is an issue I care about, I do my best to watch left, right, center, and foreign coverage of said issue, and then decide for myself. Anyone who does otherwise isn't deciding for themselves, they've just aligned themselves with an ideology and are searching for ways to defend it - that's closer to faith than politics; apologetics instead of debating.
I may have posted it here before, so I'll just paraphrase now. Tocqueville said it the best; there will always be others ready to supply you with opinions so you do not need to form them for yourself, and that there is NO PARTY of principle in America, but there are men (and now women) of principle in both parties.
Finally, I leave you with these two quotes.
The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.
Alexis de Tocqueville
I cannot help fearing that men may reach a point where they look on every new theory as a danger, every innovation as a toilsome trouble, every social advance as a first step toward revolution, and that they may absolutely refuse to move at all.
Alexis de Tocqueville
