Anyone else heard repukes (RL, not TV/'net) advocate torture of detainees?

[Barad Simith]

Has anyone else heard repukes (in real life, not on cable news, talk radio or the Internet) advocate the torture of terrorism suspects?

While trying to educate a repuke acquaintance on the difference between classic conservatism and the idiocy and recklessness of the neocon/PNAC crowd, I gave the example of McCain opposing the torture of detainees, a practice which is already illegal under both the Geneva Convention and the U.S. Army Code of Conduct, while Bush is in favor of it.

My repuke acquaintance, who has otherwise tended to be somewhat centrist (compared to his statement yesterday), argued that terrorism suspects should not have the same rights as non-terrorism suspects, and should be tortured if it helps extract information that could save American lives.

I won't bore you with the obvious arguments I made against the legalization and/or use of torture. I'm just wondering how many others have had to listen to this crap, up-close and in-person (i.e., in real life, not on FOX News or hate radio).

[Coyote_Bandit]

1. I Have

from a fundy 60 year old psych nurse! Apparently, torture is fair in war. At least that is what the sheeple believe.

[Barad Simith]

2. A fundy, huh? In that case...

I imagine Nurse Fundy would be against both rape and homosexuality, unless they were being used on a detainee to extract information.

Makes me wonder if pro-torture fundies might eventually come up with wholesome, family-values-oriented methods of torture. Stuff that won't corrupt their children's eyes.

What country are we in again?

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. Of course

this fundy is against rape and homosexuality - not to mention a host of other things.

I tried to point out some of her inconsistencies and she just kind of swelled up like she was going to explode and then she told me not to preach to her and stomped off. Clearly, she had no answer and could only respond by being defensive. It would have been funny if she hadn't been justifying and defending torture.

[mmonk]

3. They believe this way because of all the propaganda.

To them, there is a terrorist around every corner and America is under seige from all Middle Eastern countries except Israel. America is under attack in their minds because we are Christian and all Muslims no matter where they live are Islamic terrorists. This is mostly true with fundamentalists and southerners (of which I am) who are easily manipulated by religious and ethnic hatred as well as being uneducated about the world. While there is an Islamic radical threat, its abilities and membership have been exaggerated by the administration in starting their war for American global hegemony. You can control a population as long as they are willing to believe they are in constant danger.

[Barad Simith]

6. I talked to a high school senior soon after 911...

...and he said he wanted to "kill all those towel-heads."

I tried to tell him about the Sikhs, and how they're a peaceful people who happen to wear head coverings but have nothing to do with terrorism or the Islamic religion.

He said, "I don't care, I hate 'em."

[comsymp]

9. Have you heard from him since he enlisted?

Just curious as to whether he got his wish.

[Barad Simith]

11. Now why would a middle-class white boy from the suburbs want to go to war?

I haven't seen him in years, but I have a feeling he's doing beer bongs and high-fiving his buds right about now, not running his ass around Iraq or Afghanistan.

[endarkenment]

4. Heck how about Democrats?

Notoriously: Alan Dershowitz. http://www.spectacle.org/0202/seth.html

You know - its that ticking bomb thing.

Latest update on that is in The Nation where Dershowitz says he really is against torture but (and it is a big butt) since we are going about it anyway we have to make it 'normative' by which he means regulated and official rather than under the table.

[bryant69]

5. A few people

Generally by underlying that these people are torturers themselves and beheaders and terrorists. When I mention that most of the Abu Ghraib prisoners were realeased because they hadn't done anything, they get very upset. Or they completely shut up.

Bryant
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[mmonk]

7. People in Germany

during WWII became immune to the cruelty by many of the same propaganda methods that exist here. Constant threat pyschological propaganda can turn populations into accepting atrocity or inhumane methods.

[jsamuel]

8. yep