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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsForeign policyStarted 9yrs agoActive 2wks ago

Should the military be allowed to use enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to gain information from suspected terrorists?

After the September 11, 2001 terror attacks the George W. Bush administration authorized the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” at secret detention facilities around the world run by the defense department and CIA. The authorization approved the use of many techniques including beatings, binding in stress positions, hooding, sleep deprivation and waterboarding. In 2008 President Obama signed an executive order banning the use torture by the U.S. military and CIA. In 2016 the use of torture became a topic during the Presidential race when candidate Donald Trump suggested…  

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2.3k Replies

 @9S7P3V4Libertarian from California  answered…11mos11MO

No, for several reasons. 1) It's an ineffective form of interrogation, as people will tend say anything as long as it means an end to the pain, AND you would have no way of knowing what was true. 2) It's inhumane, unethical, and violates the 8th amendment. And 3) we should follow the laws of the Geneva Convention.

 @9FJ6F65 from California  answered…2yrs2Y

If there is enough evidence against them then yes

 @9CGVC45Socialist from California  answered…2yrs2Y

No, and give the death penalty to those who commit war crimes

 @9BQ6W8K from California  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but only with undeniable proof of crime after a fair trial and only using tactics in line with the Geneva convention

 @92K2FCTLibertarian from California  answered…3yrs3Y

No, torture is inhumane and is an ineffective form of interrogation.

 @8D49QH6 from California  answered…5yrs5Y

Yes but only if someone's life is at stake.

 @9C4KTGF from California  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but only if they are convicted of mass terrorism and there is no possibility of their innocence. Furthermore, it should only be used if the withdrawal of information is necessary to prevent further significant deaths. However, I generally disagree with the use of torture because I understand the risk of its misuse outweighs the possibility of its advantages. Given the current state of our government , I do not believe that they should be given this right.

 @994YKNK from California  answered…2yrs2Y

Torture is inhumane, but yes allow certain forms of psychological torture so long as they're not too harsh.

 @98926J7 from California  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes but only if it is important information needed right away to save people

 @97QN9G2 from California  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes but only to a point

 @97PCVF9 from California  answered…3yrs3Y

Yes especially on the terrorists involved in January 6th insurrection!

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…11mos11MO

“Throw out everything you thought you knew about this election.”

By Chuck Todd, NBC News:We are getting awfully close to the moment when it might be fair to say, “Throw out everything you thought you knew about this election.”We are now going from a presidential campaign that left the public disinterested and at times disgusted it to a campaign that I could see generating an electorate that might be as interested, if not more so, as in 2008 and 2020, two of the highest-turnout elections in the last 50 years.If the Democrats do end up with a new nominee — and it’s looking more likely by the hour that they will — that, too, is likely to suddenly trigger interest in what the new nominee has to say, which in turn could engage the electorate in a way that the pre-debate version of this campaign just didn’t.But before we get to this campaign reset, the Democrats have to figure out what their ticket looks like and, more important, how quickly they can get their ticket selected and certified by the party.As of this writing, my sources indicate to me that about the only folks who are still trying to rationalize Biden’s staying in this race all share the last name of Biden, with the possible exception of Biden’s longtime chief political strategist, Mike Donilon — who, as the gatekeeper of the data that makes it to the president's desk, is starting to get blame along with Biden and his family for Democrats’ being in this position.

▲  2015 replies

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…8mos8MO

Netanyahu's Pre-Inauguration Gift to Trump: A Lebanon Cease-Fire Deal"

A close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Donald Trump and Jared Kushner this week that Israel is rushing to advance a cease-fire deal in Lebanon, according to three current and former Israeli officials briefed on the meeting, with the aim of delivering an early foreign policy win to the president-elect.Ron Dermer, Netanyahu’s minister of strategic affairs, made Mar-a-Lago the first stop on his U.S. tour Sunday before traveling to the White House to update Biden administration officials on the state of Lebanon talks, a sign of how swiftly America’s political center of gravity has shifted after Trump’s electoral victory.“There is an understanding that Israel would gift something to Trump … that in January there will be an understanding about Lebanon,” an Israeli official said. Like others in this article, the official spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.Trump has said he wants to bring an end to the wars in the Middle East, but he also told Netanyahu in a call last month to “do what you have to do” against Hezbollah and Hamas. It is unclear what impact, if any, the Lebanon proposal discussed at Mar-a-Lago would have on stalled cease-fire and hostage-release talks in Gaza.“Netanyahu has no loyalty to Biden and will be focused entirely on currying favor with Trump,” said Frank Lowenstein, a former special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations under President Barack Obama who served during the transition to the first Trump administration. If 2016 is any indication, he added, “Trump won’t hesitate to act like he’s already president when he sees an opportunity.”

▲  1510 replies