Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (121367)	6/21/2005 9:07:42 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793731

Are you a fan of "24"? Yes, I am, and they do torture people. It's hard to watch but, when you are caught up in the story, it's also hard to argue with their approach. They even sacrificed one of their own to save the day--flat out murdered him. It makes you think about the Marquis of Queensbury. If the only chance you have to save millions of people is to torture the guy who set the nuke to find out where it is, I don't think you get points for being squeamish about it. Do coercive interrogative techniques work, I don't know. Like you, I had heard that they don't and I assumed it was so but who knows. We don't have enough information, I don't think. If they did work, and if, like on 24, there were a catastrophe about to happen, would your standard change?

To: Ilaine who wrote (121367)	6/22/2005 12:08:19 AM
From: Nadine Carroll	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793731

I can tell you that the received wisdom of the US justice system is that coercion produces inherently untrustworthy information Really? I was under the impression that a great many coercive techniques were routinely used by cops and DAs. Oh, not torture, but threats - your partner has ratted you out, and unless you tell us everything now, the charge will be Murder 1 and you're heading to death row. Cooperate, and it will be Manslaughter. Not torture, but most certainly coercive, wouldn't you agree? Most of the interviews I have read with veteran interrogators say that pain just produces false confessions, but mental stress, threats, trickery and argument have their place. One said that with an Islamist prisoner who was proud of his knowledge of theology, they used an interrogator who knew the Koran and Hadith through and through, and could out-argue him on Sharia.