Interrogation Techniques
 

With all the outrage of waterboarding and other torture/interrogation techniques......I guess my questions are these:

Is there never a "line" that should be crossed when it comes to getting information and saving lives?

And if so, then what or where is that line?

If your family or own children were on the line...what lines would you be willing to cross?

I am NOT interested in this desolving into a lame "you're an idiot" debate...I'm geniunely curious about the questions I posed above.

This isn't really that tough for me morally and ethically. We nearly all agree it is moral and ethical to kill to save and protect others, so once you're OK with killing, it doesn't seem so hard to accept everything up to killing as well.

There are a hierarchy of values, where the value of one principle trumps the value of another. Those hierarchies vary wildly by culture, religion and even individuals.

God said it was better than one man die than a whole nation perish and dwindle and unbelief, and off came Laban's head.

I'm not certain what lines, if any, I wouldn't cross to save my family. Fortunately, it's so unlikely I'll ever actually deal with this question in anyting other than a hypothetical realm, that I really don't worry about it.

I think this is a very, very difficult question. Ideally you say we are above the fray and will hold to our values no matter what. OTOH, if somebody was htreating a major city with a suitcase nuke, or even a dirty bomb, and I had someone in custody that knew how to rpevent it but would not cooperate, what would I do?

I have a hard time believeing I would not be inlcined to go get the car battery and jumper cables and the water board, etc., and have a go at it.

I agree.

I find it nearly impossible to believe that those who're firmly against, if they're ever in a position (Obvioulsy highly unlikely) where they had to resort to something that "crosses the line" to save their family that they wouldn't do it.

I can't see them going..."Sorry honey and kids...but my principles...sorry I can't do it....even to save you."

If they told me they wouldn't cross any lines to save them then I call them a liar, because I think when their instinct and desire for survival kicked in they would go against what they despise....even with those that disagree with waterboarding.

Would you all who would do anything to save your family rape a 6 year old girl to save your family?

This thread is proof that supposed good member of the LDS church have no ability to think in ethical constructs.

All those years of lessons and talks, and zero ability to form a rationale ethical construct.

FAIL.

Mike doesn't answer Rocky's questions.

FAIL.

You are kidding yourself if you think you would not consider torture under a circumstance wherre your family was about to be killed. (in fact, reading your posts about guns and survivalism and then imapgining you in a room with a gun in your hand and a guy htat knew how to stop the death of your family and won't tell you how leads to a pretty easy to predict result). As a matter of policy I think the answer is easy. As a mtter of personal choice to rptect my family and homwtonw? the choice is much more difficult. Plus, the larger and more immediate the threat the more diffoicult the choice beocmes.

How about this?

I would treat my prisoners no worse than GBH would.

Can you can imagine GBH waterboarding someone? Or ordering that it be done?