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Science and Cruelty

How brains, beliefs, and being human give rise to the horrors of human cruelty.

by Kathleen Taylor

Kathleen Taylor is a freelance science writer and researcher affiliated with Oxford University. See full bio

June 3, 2009, Law and Crime

Comments on "Torture research"

Torture research

By Kathleen Taylor on June 3, 2009 in Science and Cruelty

"Standing isn't torture;. I stand in my office every day." According to some people, death threats, water-boarding or a little light physical abuse aren't torture either. Now a new study shows that in torture it's the context which matters, not whether one specific method is used or not. Bright lights and loud music in a nightclub are not the same as in a prison cell. Read More

What Does Work

Submitted by Terry on June 3, 2009 - 10:21pm.

Excellent article...

There has been a number of articles on what
does work as far as interrogation and getting
good information goes (hint, no torture involved):

http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2009/05/13/it-aint-24-it-aint-jack...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/28/AR200811...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1901491,00.html

So why didn't the CIA and the Bush administration give
up on torturing? Because torture is effective at accomplishing
the far more valuable goals of:

- inflaming and encouraging the terrorists, who have
been so very valuable to the Bush administration.

- provide thrills and excitement for sadistic thugs,
thus ensuring their electoral support of the
Bush administration.

Note: the Republican Party still condones torture.

I was in a combat job in the military.

Submitted by Wallaby on June 4, 2009 - 6:01am.

We were taught in the early 1990's that torture only works to make the torturer feel good, and does nothing to make the victim tell the truth. If you hurt someone enough they will say anything to make it stop. And they will decide that you are evil, and this will make their resolve even stronger. We knew this back then, so why even attempt it now?

I wonder if it has anything to do with those fundamentalist Christians in charge, unable to express their sexuality, enjoying the suffering of others...

Torture and re-education

Submitted by Remus on June 21, 2009 - 5:29am.

Dear Kathleen,

I read your book on Brainwashing and several of your articles. It was very helpful since I'm researching something similar. This is the reason why I'd like to tell you about the so-called "Pitesti phenomenon", in case you're interested.

I can also give you some links, since most of the books dealing with this topic have been published in Romanian.

http://www.procesulcomunismului.com/marturii/fonduri/pitesti/dbacu/defau...

http://www.thegenocideofthesouls.org/public/the-pitesti-experiment/

Maybe you'll find it interesting.

All the best,
Remus