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I think this quibbling about 'what is torture' is only entertainment to keep us occupied while they do whatever the hell they want.
Most importantly above, as rb mentions, is that this country (or at least the current administration) is questioning adherence to the Geneva Conventions. What does our complacency with that say about our answer to the question, 'what is torture'? Fact is, we are questioning at least one method of interrogation that we have used in this decade (waterboarding). One that has been deemed torture by this country in the past and one for which we have convicted military personnel for performing, as recently as Vietnam. This to me says that we are not a reliable arbiter of our own standards when it comes to the use of and our comfort level with the practice of 'aggressive interrogation techniques.' I don't trust that most people in this country have the imagination and empathic ability to realistically consider and envision the consequences of torture and, importantly, an America that tortures. And, in fact, it really disgusts me that this is even a matter for discussion in the public square. We need to unite in our agreement about the use of torture? No, not for me. We needed to be there already. This is not the country I was raised to be a part of.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce
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