General Is torture useful?

[Dave_Accu]

I was watching Zero Dark Thirty again. I know it's Hollywood(Yes, I realize it actually happened), but I can't understand how anyone ever thought torture was useful. Of course they do the same routine cops used where they pretend to know everything already, but just want to hear you say it(which also never made sense to me). How could you ever trust the information given? The "victims" only goal is to stop the pain and torture which can turn any man desperate and willing to say anything.

Anyone agree with torture as a tool? I don't mean US citizens, I mean terrorists. On some level deep down, most of us want to cheerlead it, but that isn't because its useful imo. We do so because we want to get even by inflicting the same pain they were inflicting on others. That I understand. As a tool of anti terrorism not so much.

Is there a opposite POV I'm missing here?

 

[Rasputin]

yes, El Salvador has nuked gangs via huge prison + non stop torture

aint nobody got tiime for gangbanging anymoar in El Salvador

 

[Dave_Accu]

yes, El Salvador has nuked gangs via huge prison + non stop torture

aint nobody got tiime for gangbanging anymoar in El Salvador

I know about the prison but never heard about the torture before.

 

[kvr28]

I was watching Zero Dark Thirty again. I know it's Hollywood(Yes, I realize it actually happened), but I can't understand how anyone ever thought torture was useful. Of course they do the same routine cops used where they pretend to know everything already, but just want to hear you say it(which also never made sense to me). How could you ever trust the information given? The "victims" only goal is to stop the pain and torture which can turn any man desperate and willing to say anything.

Anyone agree with torture as a tool? I don't mean US citizens, I mean terrorists. On some level deep down, most of us want to cheerlead it, but that isn't because its useful imo. We do so because we want to get even by inflicting the same pain they were inflicting on others. That I understand. As a tool of anti terrorism not so much.

Is there a opposite POV I'm missing here?

It's only useful when several people are saying the same thing imo

 

[MountainMedic]

There different levels/types of torture.

If we're talking physically inflicting pain to get a positive response it's of very limited value. Instituting psychological pressure has more value in that arena.

If we're talking torture as punishment you have a pretty good track record of success. Its why they hung rustlers and left em in the tree. Faster and easier ways to kill a man, but letting him rot on a rope for the town to see definitely slowed down the next fella.

 

[Jamie999]

It works as long as the subject has the information you're seeking. Sure lots of false positives but not sure that's such a big deal in the case of something like terrorism when gathering information as you're often dealing with being fed false info anyway. Obviously it should be inadmissible for a confession.

There obviously is a very strong campaign on ethical grounds to get rid of it.. and that campaign seeks to primarily discredit the effectiveness of torture. Lots of intentionally flawed and biased studies out there.

 

[Fookster1982]

Might as well change your name it Dave_ACLU…. Pussy. Torture is awesome as long as it isn’t me…