Re: [OT] a dumb query? pls humor me

["Daniel B." <REMOVEdanielCAPS@fgm.com>]

Steve Lamb wrote:
> judd@wadsworth.org wrote:
...

> >     Not to mention that such actions are counterproductive.  If someone
> > is tortured into confessing to a crime, it is always suspect.
>
>     Yes, but that isn't exactly what is going on, is it?  What's going in is
> called, if I recall correctly, the short time problem.  You know something is
> going to happen, something horrible, and you know that the person you have has
> information that will stop it. Once that event passes their information is
> useless.  They won't give it up.  What do you do?  Do you let hundreds of
> thousands of people die or do you get the information using all means short of
> those that incur long-standing harm?

That's an unrealistic case that distracts from the rest of the cases.
It's rare the you _really_ know.  (Remember that "24" is fiction.)

So, no, that probably is _not_ the case that is going on.


>     That's a decision that most people will never face in their lifetime and
> yet they feel they are supremely qualified to judge those who are in the
> unfortunate position to have to make that call.

No.  Most of the judging is of those who are using torture in much
less definite situations.


Daniel