Comments on: Profiteering torture teachers modeled US techniques after those of Chinese Communists http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Tue, 21 May 2013 23:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Timothy Hutton http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564995 Timothy Hutton Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564995 Is the issue that we feel cheated because they didn't have actual, hands-on expereience torturing hundreds of prisoners? Would that <i>really</i> be better? You can either learn a subject by doing it, or by studying it - these fellows choose the latter, and it paid them hansomely... Is the issue that we feel cheated because they didn’t have actual, hands-on expereience torturing hundreds of prisoners? Would that really be better?

You can either learn a subject by doing it, or by studying it – these fellows choose the latter, and it paid them hansomely…

]]> By: Marcel http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564767 Marcel Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564767 #18 RTRESCO <BLOCKQUOTE>You would expect the CIA after years of being in the spook business to know how to do interrogations in every possible style. If they had, they would have seen these guys were frauds and/or would never have hired them in the first place."</BLOCKQUOTE> Ah yes, but then the CIA is an organisation based on trust in human nature, and goes from the assumption that people have good intentions. So, assuming that nu human rights were ever violated in any way whatsoever, they put these two people in charge of personally conducting every single harsh interrogation since 9/11. The CIA as an organisation can stand proud with its head held high, and say in al ernest and honesty: Wir haben es nicht gewusst! /extremely bitter cynism #18 RTRESCO

You would expect the CIA after years of being in the spook business to know how to do interrogations in every possible style. If they had, they would have seen these guys were frauds and/or would never have hired them in the first place.”

Ah yes, but then the CIA is an organisation based on trust in human nature, and goes from the assumption that people have good intentions.

So, assuming that nu human rights were ever violated in any way whatsoever, they put these two people in charge of personally conducting every single harsh interrogation since 9/11.

The CIA as an organisation can stand proud with its head held high, and say in al ernest and honesty:
Wir haben es nicht gewusst!

/extremely bitter cynism

]]> By: denkbert http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564517 denkbert Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564517 My my, the "american dream" surely has changed during the last couple of years ... My my, the “american dream” surely has changed during the last couple of years …

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564518 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564518 The "Mengeles" of the 21st Century! Great, they're "American". The “Mengeles” of the 21st Century! Great, they’re “American”.

]]> By: DWittSF http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564543 DWittSF Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564543 War Criminals. Send them, plus Cheney, Yoo, Addington and Bybee to the Hague for prosecution--if America wants to regain what its propaganda says it is. The world was behind us after 9/11, only to watch as the US govt. shredded the Geneva Conventions. How quaint, after all. War Criminals. Send them, plus Cheney, Yoo, Addington and Bybee to the Hague for prosecution–if America wants to regain what its propaganda says it is. The world was behind us after 9/11, only to watch as the US govt. shredded the Geneva Conventions. How quaint, after all.

]]> By: manicbassman http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564580 manicbassman Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564580 are they still doctors? I was hoping the APA has stripped them of their licences to practice are they still doctors? I was hoping the APA has stripped them of their licences to practice

]]> By: rtresco http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564585 rtresco Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564585 @4 "The interesting bit here isn't that some people can bluff their way into anything and make money from it. The really, really interesting thing is that the CIA somehow didn't have the knowledge internally to do these interrogations themselves. You would expect the CIA after years of being in the spook business to know how to do interrogations in every possible style. If they had, they would have seen these guys were frauds and/or would never have hired them in the first place." Once you get your war started and trillons in funding secured - there's no money to be made squandering it internaly with rank-and-file shlubs locked into a govt pay grade. You must outsource everything to hide the even larger amount of war budget that DIDN'T go to these guys, but rather to somewhere (or someone) else. @4 “The interesting bit here isn’t that some people can bluff their way into anything and make money from it. The really, really interesting thing is that the CIA somehow didn’t have the knowledge internally to do these interrogations themselves.

You would expect the CIA after years of being in the spook business to know how to do interrogations in every possible style. If they had, they would have seen these guys were frauds and/or would never have hired them in the first place.”

Once you get your war started and trillons in funding secured – there’s no money to be made squandering it internaly with rank-and-file shlubs locked into a govt pay grade. You must outsource everything to hide the even larger amount of war budget that DIDN’T go to these guys, but rather to somewhere (or someone) else.

]]> By: MB http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564336 MB Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564336 Remember these names. They deserve no place in polite society. Remember these names. They deserve no place in polite society.

]]> By: Cicada http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-565106 Cicada Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-565106 @#8- Try answering it from the flipside--what made you care? Or, what made you think people are more important than money? What if that had gone another way? @#8- Try answering it from the flipside–what made you care? Or, what made you think people are more important than money? What if that had gone another way?

]]> By: robulus http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564340 robulus Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564340 <blockquote>Their lack of experience didn't stop them from pawning themselves off as top architects of America's "war on terror."</blockquote> You wouldn't want to introduce competence that late in the game, the whole thing might tip over.

Their lack of experience didn’t stop them from pawning themselves off as top architects of America’s “war on terror.”

You wouldn’t want to introduce competence that late in the game, the whole thing might tip over.

]]> By: apoxia http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564356 apoxia Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564356 Evil psychologists sure do exist, like the ones who design slot machines. I decided early in my training to use my psychological powers only for good, not evil. Evil psychologists sure do exist, like the ones who design slot machines. I decided early in my training to use my psychological powers only for good, not evil.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564357 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564357 The interesting bit here isn't that some people can bluff their way into anything and make money from it. The really, really interesting thing is that the CIA somehow didn't have the knowledge internally to do these interrogations themselves. You would expect the CIA after years of being in the spook business to know how to do interrogations in every possible style. If they had, they would have seen these guys were frauds and/or would never have hired them in the first place. Oh well, maybe it's just ordinary people working at the CIA and isn't the James Bond/Black Helicopter/Contrail hype not all that it is played up to be The interesting bit here isn’t that some people can bluff their way into anything and make money from it. The really, really interesting thing is that the CIA somehow didn’t have the knowledge internally to do these interrogations themselves.

You would expect the CIA after years of being in the spook business to know how to do interrogations in every possible style. If they had, they would have seen these guys were frauds and/or would never have hired them in the first place.

Oh well, maybe it’s just ordinary people working at the CIA and isn’t the James Bond/Black Helicopter/Contrail hype not all that it is played up to be

]]> By: sorted http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564364 sorted Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564364 absolutely disgusting. absolutely disgusting.

]]> By: Cicada http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564367 Cicada Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564367 @1 MB- Why would they want a place in polite society? Apparently violently impolite society pays a lot better... @1 MB- Why would they want a place in polite society? Apparently violently impolite society pays a lot better…

]]> By: rose bush http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564380 rose bush Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564380 four words for those two gatsu piedis first do no harm four words for those two gatsu piedis

first
do
no
harm

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564382 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564382 They'll go unpunished. That is something I have no doubt about. I understand the reasons why that is the way things are, but I cannot stomach it. Why don't people seem to care? They’ll go unpunished. That is something I have no doubt about. I understand the reasons why that is the way things are, but I cannot stomach it. Why don’t people seem to care?

]]> By: phisrow http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564386 phisrow Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564386 Accidents happen. We can only hope that they are allocated properly in the future... Accidents happen. We can only hope that they are allocated properly in the future…

]]> By: WalterBillington http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564391 WalterBillington Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564391 Their lack of experience didn't stop them from pawning themselves off as top architects of America's "war on terror." Sounds just like an ex-president we all know! (George W. Bush, in case you'd forgotten) Their lack of experience didn’t stop them from pawning themselves off as top architects of America’s “war on terror.”

Sounds just like an ex-president we all know! (George W. Bush, in case you’d forgotten)

]]> By: Marcel http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564392 Marcel Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564392 Oh okay, so these two guys are to blame for all the torture and stuff?! Well that settles it then. Pfew! What a relief! Here I was thinking there was a whole system behind it and that blame was shared across the board. Turns out these two very cunning deceitful characters somehow managed to convince your Central Intelligence Agency through trickery and sleight of hand, that torture is a good, clean, wholesome manner to extract information. So the CIA fell victim to these two scoundrels. I am happy we cleared this up, so we can now close the book on this nastiness. Oh okay, so these two guys are to blame for all the torture and stuff?! Well that settles it then.

Pfew! What a relief! Here I was thinking there was a whole system behind it and that blame was shared across the board. Turns out these two very cunning deceitful characters somehow managed to convince your Central Intelligence Agency through trickery and sleight of hand, that torture is a good, clean, wholesome manner to extract information.

So the CIA fell victim to these two scoundrels. I am happy we cleared this up, so we can now close the book on this nastiness.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564400 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564400 The democratisation of torture is natural to the world of the Democratizing. The democratisation of torture is natural to the world of the Democratizing.

]]> By: wackyvorlon http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-571319 wackyvorlon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-571319 I see this as part of the ongoing death rattle that has gripped the United States. What was once a world power, is now corroding and falling apart. The health of it's people, and their education is on par with that of a third-world nation. It's economy is shattered, it's roads and cities decaying. Among all these things they have adopted, they have also adopted the ethics of many third-world countries. They have reframed torture into "harsh interrogation". The country is ravaged by madness like it were an infectious plague. America makes nothing, creates nothing - it only consumes. Weep for your country, gentlemen. You have lost nearly all cause for pride in it. I see this as part of the ongoing death rattle that has gripped the United States. What was once a world power, is now corroding and falling apart. The health of it’s people, and their education is on par with that of a third-world nation. It’s economy is shattered, it’s roads and cities decaying.

Among all these things they have adopted, they have also adopted the ethics of many third-world countries. They have reframed torture into “harsh interrogation”. The country is ravaged by madness like it were an infectious plague. America makes nothing, creates nothing – it only consumes.

Weep for your country, gentlemen. You have lost nearly all cause for pride in it.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/torture-teachers-mod.html#comment-564447 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-564447 War crimes trials. The only reason not to (and not just for these two dipsticks, for ALL involved, including Bush and Cheney) is because we want to have the option to do again all the things that have been done. War crimes trials. The only reason not to (and not just for these two dipsticks, for ALL involved, including Bush and Cheney) is because we want to have the option to do again all the things that have been done.

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