From: Kalkor (kalkor@kalkor.com)
Date: Thu May 06 2004 - 23:58:30 MDT
[Joe Dees]
New Iraq Shocker: Prisoners Forced to Wear Beanies, Swallow Goldfish
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2004/05/new_iraq_shocke.html
Baghdad - US CentCom braced for an international human rights backlash
today, as it released another raft of photos detailing widespread inmate
abuse and humiliation at the hands of US guards at the notorious Al Ghraib
prison.
In the newly released photos, masked Iraqi prisoners are shown forming human
pyramids, stuffing Volkswagens, eating live goldfish and pounding 'beer
bongs,' all under the supervision of laughing US guards.
[Kalkor]
LOL!!!!! Thank you Joe, I thoroughly enjoyed that! It is heartening to see
people take a step back once in a while, and this kind of Onion-esque
reporting can give one perspective.
I think it's interesting to note, from a memetic standpoint, that most of
the examples of mistreatment in this were similar to forms of hazing, a way
of cementing social groups. And with the social group comes the outgroup,
UT-style.
I would also like anyone who feels they are able, to point out some war
throughout history that meets these two qualifications:
1) People killed each other
2) No one was tortured, not even for information
I am of the opinion that the use of torture, having survived so many
succesful and failed conquests and conflicts, has been proven to be an
effective tool for waging war. Regardless of the arguments for and against
the need for war, or the circumstances under which it should (or shouldn't)
be waged, I think it is paramount to realize that when something ends up
being done, it should be done with the greatest efficacy and efficiency. And
that means use the tools that are tested, proven, tried-and-true, while
seeking and testing other tools. So it should be in war.
Hopefully, we'll outgrow wholesale slaughter as our species grows "smarter"
or creates something that does. Until then, using war as a tool to achieve
an end is an accepted strategy, and using torture to wage war is another
good gamble. More power to those soldiers being shot at, who are using the
tools we've taught them in high school and college, to build group
solidarity and harden themselves to the idea that, for UT reasons, they may
have to kill another human being.
Kalkor
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