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A comment on Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and practice of interrogation. Parent comment

Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by eeZah7Ux on Friday October 13, 2017 @10:26AM (#15465943)
This statement implies that effectiveness is more important than moral implications.
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Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by mikeash on Friday October 13, 2017 @10:30AM (#15465974)
If your goal is to get people to stop torturing, I would personally value effectiveness at getting them to stop above all else.
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Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by GhostVII on Friday October 13, 2017 @12:06PM (#15466823)
To someone who is morally OK with torture, it is much easier to convince them to stop by saying it is ineffective than by trying to change their morals.
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Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by darpa_escapee on Friday October 13, 2017 @12:45PM (#15467255)
Yes, but then they can pull out the ticking time bomb scenario and confuse plausible justification with efficacy.
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Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by bluesroo on Friday October 13, 2017 @12:22PM (#15467012)
If the effectiveness is high enough, then for some people it could be as, or more, important. To create a overly ideal example as a counterpoint:

There is a WMD of some sort hidden in a major city center. We have captured and are 100% sure that the head people who did the planning and planting of the WMD are in our custody. We have a morally reprehensible, but 100% effective torture method.

1. It is guaranteed that these people know the exact information.

2. Tens of thousands or more will be harmed or killed if it is not disarmed.

3. These people are the reason why the WMD is there to begin with.

In this case I think that taking more drastic measures would be justified.

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Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by michaelmrose on Friday October 13, 2017 @02:16PM (#15468045)
This is a 1 in a million special case that will almost certainly never happen. We can't embed such cases in our law without drastically undermining our laws, our justice, and our morality.

If this ever does come to pass and the lives of 10's of thousands are at stake I suppose you do it anyway in violation of the law and take the punishment knowing that your sacrifice prevents greater injustice and evil.

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Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by ansible on Friday October 13, 2017 @03:42PM (#15468712)
If this ever does come to pass and the lives of 10's of thousands are at stake I suppose you do it anyway in violation of the law and take the punishment knowing that your sacrifice prevents greater injustice and evil.

Yes, exactly. Legislating torture as a practice is not necessary or desirable.

If such a perfect "pro-torture" situation does occur, Any True Patriot (TM) should be glad to face a lifetime of imprisonment (for torturing the totally-for-sure-did-it-bad-guy) as a tradeoff for saving thousands of lives.

In the real world, with much more common situations, we do not want people being tortured on a routine basis.

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Re:Two scientists quietly revolutionising the study and prac... by WalterSear on Friday October 13, 2017 @12:22PM (#15467011)
By definition it is, to people who advocate torture.
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