Torture In The Military

Words: 707
Pages: 3
Open Document
The U.S. Military tends to be incredibly popularized in this country. We view every soldier as a hero, and praise them for all of their hard work they’ve served. Which they most definitely deserve, because they’re willingly putting their lives on the line to defend our country. It takes a lot of courage to volunteer to put your own life at risk, and for that many people deeply appreciate them. Yet very few people know of or acknowledge the cruel military tactics that are used in secrecy.
There’s a hot topic of debate regarding the U.S. Military, which is the “enhanced” interrogation techniques that are being utilized. These techniques have been established as permissible by our government. It’s been argued whether these interrogation methods …show more content…
Basically torture can be broken down into two sub categories: punitive and interrogational. Santucci (2008) defines interrogational torture as having the intent of extracting information that is considered pertinent to a higher cause from the detainee. This is the type of torture that would describe the purpose of its use by the U. S. in the War on Terror. Punitive torture is used to discipline or persuade the opinions of someone or a group of people (Santucci, 2008). This type of torture is most likely used by terrorist groups to manipulate a ruling power or force. Both of these types could involve the same types of torture but interrogational would most likely be viewed as more “moral” torture since the results and reasons would be provided to the public by a larger propaganda as necessary for the promotion of a noble cause or society in …show more content…
The most severe type of method could consist of physically or mentally damaging the person permanently, and the intent to end the person’s life. Wolfendale (2009) describes torture lite as a torture tactic that doesn’t physically harm or mutilate the detainee. Instead it’s torture that consists of forced standing (stress positions), sleep deprivation, manipulation of room temperature to make it uncomfortably hot or cold, isolation, bombardment of noise, mock execution, and personal humiliation. This “torture lite” method is currently used in the War on Terror by the U.S. Our government likes to call it “enhanced interrogation” to make it sound less inhumane and cruel. Interestingly enough, this term is the American version of the phrase that the Nazi’s used when they used these similar torture methods (Hunsinger, 2008). This idea of torture lite is crucial for this topic, because the use of these techniques is quite popular among governments (including the United States) to avoid angry responses from organizations that deal with Human Rights. It’s also popular because it makes it extremely difficult to prove that the torture even took place, because of the lack of physical evidence. The only evidence that could be provided is the statement of the detainee who endured it, which isn’t enough. When there isn’t any physical evidence of the torture that took place it’s easier to justify
Show More

Related Documents: Torture In The Military

The Importance Of Torture

Terrorism is a constant fear for many americans. Due to many terroristic acts in our modern world torture is used to try to get information out of terrorist suspects. Torture is defined as the act of causing severe physical pain as a form of punishment or as a way to force someone to do or say something. Some forms of torture include waterboarding where the detainee is put under a simulation of drowning, electric shock, and holding mock executions and many other physically and mentally painful techniques…

Words 1127 - Pages 5

Violence at Abu Ghraib Essay

At Abu Ghraib, the goal for the American Soldiers was to make the prisoners feel powerless. The hundreds of photos taken of all the horrific tortures constitute evidence of abuse by the military. Unspeakable acts of cruelty were committed in the prison. The torturers believed that if you torture a man enough, he will tell you what you want. Even more shocking was when the prison wardens posed with the prisoners just for the sake of the picture. There is one picture where they are posing behind a…

Words 1478 - Pages 6

Torture: Human Rights and Major Team Player Essay

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” states “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment.” [Article 5] In a perfect world, this would not be an issue. But the world we live in is far from perfect. Each year, the United States tortures suspects allegedly associated with terrorism. All the while, the world sits back and watches as more and more people are tortured, a direct violation of said act. In my honest opinion, the U.N. needs to…

Words 380 - Pages 2

Final Paper 169

why some military regimes allow for parties and legislature and others do not. According to both Geddes, Wright, and Frantz (GWF), and Gandhi (CGV) from the years of 1974-1984 it is listed as a military regime. Uruguay is unique because even though they are considered a military regime, and use lots of repression and torture in the beginning, it seems as if they always had the intention of returning Uruguay back to a democracy. In the 1970‘s the military began to use repression and torture against…

Words 1202 - Pages 5

Utilitarianism In America

could help stop future attacks, should not be used by the united states military, due to the fact that it is torturing someone for a period of time and if this happens over hours the terrorists will tell the subjector anything to make them stop. But does the ends justify the means of torturing someone to get a ended result that might or might not be true. With torturing someone does not justify the means of doing the torture and the federal government has proved that it doesn’t work. “The Senate…

Words 1690 - Pages 7

Understanding Torture Analysis

Authorization for Use of Military Force. This not only gave the President the power necessary to use military force, but to do it by any means necessary. The AUMF gave the President power far beyond what is given by the constitution, opened the door for Guantanamo bay and the torture of the prisoners held there; the United States should not perform torture at any capacity due to it’s activism for human rights and its membership in the Geneva Convention.…

Words 1184 - Pages 5

Torture term paper

Navarro 1 Is Torture Ever Justified? Madelein Navarro Philosophy Mr. Atwell January 15, 2014 Navarro 2 Is torture in any form ever justified to gain information for a specific cause? Even if that cause is for good or for bad intentions? Many would state that torture is justified as a last resort or others deem it as inhumane. Torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental,…

Words 1779 - Pages 8

Is Devine's Is Torture Ever Justified?

Assignment 8 — Rough Drafts It is universally acknowledged that torture, regarded as a kind of crime, is prohibited in any circumstances according to the human rights law. However, the fact is that it is still widely used around the world especially in third world nations’ military regimes. Therefore, the question “Is Torture Ever Justified?” has been put forward which evoked a heated debate. As professor Bagaric and Clarke claims, torture need to be regulated in some circumstances instead of totally…

Words 1159 - Pages 5

Refutation Essay

is Too Far? In Michael Levin’s “The Case for Torture” published in 1982, he argues that torture will be a benefit toward our country. It has been said that torture is too brutal for this day and age but Michael Levin believes differently. Levin argues that torture would be a good way to prevent future evils, rather than looking at it as punishment it would be more of a “warning.” Democracies wouldn't lose anything if they chose to start using torture, Levin believes that they should really consider…

Words 588 - Pages 3

Interrogations, Words or Actions? Essay

European Medi@Culture-Online Author: Sontag, Susan. Title: Regarding the torture of others. http://www.european-mediaculture.org Source: New York Times Magazine. 23.05.2004. New York 2004. Published with kind permission of the author. Susan Sontag Regarding the torture of others For a long time --- at least six decades --- photographs have laid down the tracks of how important conflicts are judged and remembered. The memory museum is now mostly a visual one. Photographs have an insuperable…

Words 4555 - Pages 19