re: #181 baier

Show me a quote where he says “I am a proponent of torture”.

Torture is an impermissible evil. Except under two circumstances. The first is the ticking time bomb. An innocent’s life is at stake. The bad guy you have captured possesses information that could save this life. He refuses to divulge. In such a case, the choice is easy. Even John McCain, the most admirable and estimable torture opponent, says openly that in such circumstances, “You do what you have to do.” And then take the responsibility.

The second exception to the no-torture rule is the extraction of information from a high-value enemy in possession of high-value information likely to save lives. This case lacks the black-and-white clarity of the ticking time bomb scenario. We know less about the length of the fuse or the nature of the next attack. But we do know the danger is great.

washingtonpost.com

Uh huh. When you read accounts from Iraq, the second condition Krauthammer lays out gets twisted beyond recognition. Anybody can be made to fit his “likely to save lives” scenario. You know it, and so does everybody else here. When introduced as an actual doctrine, our experience has been that torture and mistreatment of prisoners quickly spreads well beyond its’ initial purpose, and poisons the entire detainment and interrogation system. Krauthmeer wrote the above stament in 2209, which is well after the expose of Abu Ghraib and the courts martial of soldiers in Afghanistan who beat prisoners to death. he is aware of these facts, and continues to advocate policies that would continue to lead to similar outcomes.

Hence, he is either an idiot…

or the murders by torture and defacement of our national honr is something he is okay with.

You decide.