tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post6303314575646074410..comments2024-03-18T22:21:33.261-07:00Comments on The Debate Link: Torture is Pretty TerrifyingDavid Schraubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04946653376744012423noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-68792181406219075222008-01-11T12:55:00.000-08:002008-01-11T12:55:00.000-08:00Sorry, that was unclear. I don't meant that tortur...Sorry, that was unclear. I don't meant that torture is a legitimate tool against ANYONE. Rather, I was trying to speak in definitional terms: I meant that when we are determining whether torture is a subset of terrorism, a synonym of terrorism, or a partially overlapping concept with terrorism, I understand torture to be a tool that can be used by terrorists but not a tool used *exclusively* by terrorists. <BR/>To make a verbal Venn diagram: Not all torturers are terrorists, not all terrorists are torturers, but some terrorists use torture and some torturers are therefore terrorists.PGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09381347581328622706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-39584046962983834382008-01-11T11:38:00.000-08:002008-01-11T11:38:00.000-08:00PGDo you mean that torture is OK for terrorists as...PG<BR/><BR/>Do you mean that torture is OK for terrorists as their tool or that torture (in limited circumstances) is OK as a tool AGAINST terrorists?Cycle Cyrilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12652830857909607093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-29465235423460846262008-01-10T21:56:00.000-08:002008-01-10T21:56:00.000-08:00Calling Yoo a terrorist is a bit complicated if he...Calling Yoo a terrorist is a bit complicated if he justified torture only in the pursuit of information rather than as an end in itself, since most definitions of terrorism center on inspiring terror in order to have a terrified populace. It also tends to be based on the victims' group identity, i.e. violence against a nationality or an ethnic group, rather than against specified persons. If the U.S. government had tortured all the Muslim men and boys it rounded up after 9/11, that clearly would be terrorism. Torturing someone whom the government believes in good faith to have information that would prevent a crime -- even if the government is wrong -- seems kind of specific to be considered terrorism. I'm OK with keeping torture a potential tool of terrorism, but not a completely overlapping concept such that all torture is inherently terrorism. I don't consider Jeffrey Dahmer a terrorist, for example -- he tortured, but he did his best to commit his crimes secretly and without arousing the fear of any group of people. In contrast, the D.C. area snipers were more like terrorists -- they sought to terrify an entire community.PGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09381347581328622706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7321349.post-68119907641195833202008-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:002008-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:00Jettison jettison! You know you want to.Jettison jettison! You know you want to.Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07617213327912889142noreply@blogger.com