Do the majority of Americans condone torture?

[edhopper]

It looks that way to me. I don't see any political downside to the capitulation on torture in the congress. It seems someone has to be "politically heroic" to oppose the Pres. on torture. (obviously, that's not McCain, Graham and Warner).
It's absurd to think that a member of congress has to make a defiant stand against torture. Unless that is the American people support torture. Which they apparently do.

[QuestionAll...]

1. ah but it's freedom loving torture,

it's not like it's that other brutal kind evil dictators do or anything.
if your organs don't fail, hey, what's the big deal? don't be such a wuss.

:sarcasm:

[Virginia Dare]

2. Yes, we're free to torture and be tortured....

isn't freedom great?

[acmejack]

13. The Fear Factor, baby!

how much can they take-the winner gets this fabulous new...

[Herman Munster]

3. yes, i think it's the "24" TV show culture

Every country uses torture to protect their interests. Some, unlike ours, are just better at hiding it.

[Jacobin]

4. Its the real reason we toppled Saddam

To get his torture room technology.

[WCGreen]

6. LOL.....

[Disturbed]

7. Of course not.

The issue is framed as "Agressive Interogation" or "Alternative Iterrogation Methods". No poll would frame it as "Torture".

The RWing supports the following and much worse.

[BlueStorm]

9. Ugghh... what are they doing to him in that pic???

Poor guy..

and this is what we're condoning?! How would these soldiers feel if the same was done to them?

Blue

[Jacobin]

19. Mere fraternity hazing my dear

[BlueStorm]

21. I guess...

But geez what the hell happened to his poor knee, and what is that bloody foam thingie?!

I really can feel the pain that this man must have suffered.

Blue

[Paranoid Pessimist]

5. I don't know if it's a majority, but a large number of Americans . . .

believe that America is the "Good Guy" country, that we wouldn't do it if it wasn't necessary. Very few Americans face up to the fact that the torturers (and the "higher ups" who sanction it) enjoy it, are getting off on it, are making themselves feel tough, powerful, and action oriented.

Try pleading compassion and humanity to these people. I have. They look at you with scorn and call you a coward for not being willing to "make the tough decisions."

[Solly Mack]

8. If they do, then they support this as well (link)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5167524.stm


Video 'shows tortured US troops'

"Both bodies were reported to have been mutilated, matching reports by US authorities who said the two bodies recovered last month showed signs of "barbaric torture".


There is no such thing as moral high ground verses moral low ground torture...there is no such thing as America tortures for the good and others torture for the bad

Torture is torture...period.

So if you support torture, don't complain when American citizens get tortured.

Cause I don't want to hear it.

[BeFree]

12. Yep

Every one is created equal, so everyone should be tortured equally.

I tell people that lean toward supporting torture that if I am ever tortured, I'll roll right over and tell them that they are the one the torturers are looking for. Makes 'em think.

But yeah, too many Americans have this attitude that it's ok for the US to torture. Sad.

[Solly Mack]

15. Far too many. Sometimes I think it's because

people's(some Americans) identities are so tied up in America being the "good guys" and the "greatest" that anything, anything at all, that might challenge that cherished, well nurtured belief, is dismissed as a lie or else framed as "being different when America does it"

because to do otherwise would be to lose a part of themselves...

course, some people are just sick fucks

[TahitiNut]

10. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Of course the majority of Americans condone torture ... they're good Christians, right?

The majority of "good, Christian" Americans want to be tortured themselves. Obviously. :eyes:

[mmonk]

11. It doesn't matter. Torture is against our constitution.

[Asgaya Dihi]

14. I blame the lack of history

People don't seem to understand what the path we're on really means and who has done it before. Stress positions and water boarding were two of the war crimes we convicted people for in WWII, Molly Ivins wrote a recent article that mentioned the German use of water boarding and I know both Japan and Vietnam were pretty fond of stress positions such as locking you in a too small tiger cage or hanging you from the ceiling for a while to separate your shoulder blades. We wanted to try the Vietnamese and would have if we'd won, we did try both Japan and Germany. The main charge against Germany wasn't genocide as some seem to think but starting an aggressive war.

If people had any concept of history, of what had been done to us, how we reacted, and what we did to them, the double standard might be harder to hold up. Lacking any understanding of history it's easier to accept. The loss of history has cost this country a lot so far and I don't think we're done counting the cost yet. Not even close to it. I'm afraid the US we thought we grew up in is no more.

[ThoughtCriminal]

16. The question is almost always framed

something like this "If it would prevent a terrorist from detonating a nuclear bomb in your city, would you support..."

The question almost always assume that torture is effective and that millions of lives could be saved.

[stella]

17. yes they do support torture

as long as a republican is president and as long as the tortured are not of white skin.

[Disturbed]

18. Ugghh... what are they doing to him in that pic???

The Corp Media showed a photo of a handler and his dog intimidating a detainee. The handler allowed the dog to bite that detainee. It is the same guy that was being frightened by the dog. Of course, the Corp TV Media didn't show the result.

[90-percent]

20. American Pride

I'm proud my country stands for the homosexual raping of 11 year old boys. This will end terrorism and keep us safe the best way possible.

I can't really explain it, because, on the surface, it seems barbaric and anti- American, but it's really only anti-OLD AMERICAN. You know, the quaint way we used to be when we stood worldwide for decency and the rule of law.

Now that we stand for barbarism, the terrorists will move onto other do-gooder nations to terrorize.

-85% Jimmy

[kerry-is-my-prez]

22. Anything goes when it comes to "them Arabs"

MOst people I talk to say "They oughta just blow up that whole area." I've started to say to them "How does that make you any better than what the Nazis said about the Jews?"

I live in a Republican area but I've even had a couple of Democrats say that to me.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. Yes. As long as they can consider it "rigorous interrogation".

Or, any of the other convenient metaphors that call reducing human beings screaming in agony into non-entities deprived of their humanity.

Kind of like, "Collateral damage", "unfortunate incidents", "regrettable civilian casualties", and all the other jargon covering murder.