News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by jacquesm on Friday March 22, 2019 @02:51AM (#19460151)
> It sucks to lose someone with such integrity, values and good character.

Sorry? Who with 'integrity, values and good character' joins an interrogation squad?

Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by mmjaa on Friday March 22, 2019 @04:13AM (#19460424)
>Sorry? Who with 'integrity, values and good character' joins an interrogation squad?

Holy Christian soldiers who have the support/aligned-groupthink of their entire nation? Morals are relative - to an American growing up in the cess-pit of ethics that is modern USA, its immoral to not support the troops, and if its Gods Will™ that we defeat Evil Satan by dropping depleted uranium on innocent children then so be it, because God, like America, is Great™.

I mean, Who with 'integrity, values and good character' ignores the daily innocent life lost at the hands of America's out of control military-industrial-pharmaceutical complex? Americans do, that's who.

Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by Topolomancer on Friday March 22, 2019 @04:00AM (#19460384)
While I can understand your sentiment, it might also well be possible that such a person might be convinced of the righteousness of their cause. The article even gives some quotes along those lines. To paraphrase: "it's better if someone like me does the interrogation than someone who does not care about the Geneva convention".

I think it is very hard to judge the motivations of people from the outside. The whole point of the article was to illustrate how torn you can be between your convictions, what you want to do, and what you actually do.

Most of us are very lucky insofar as we do not have to face such tough choices.

Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by jacquesm on Friday March 22, 2019 @07:47AM (#19461610)
I really don't care if they are convinced of the righteousness of their cause. History is rife with examples of people who were convinced of the righteousness, that does not excuse them even a little bit.

> Most of us are very lucky insofar as we do not have to face such tough choices.

That's why we talk about the ones who did. Since conscription in the US ended quite a while ago all of this is free choice.

Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by Topolomancer on Friday March 22, 2019 @11:37AM (#19463581)
Fair enough; you have given me a lot to think about---thank you!

One more thing, though: I am not sure it is always that much of a free choice (even given the fact that no conscription exists). There might be economic reasons for joining the military, for example. However, since I am not a U.S. citizen, I am not sure how much of an issue this actually is.

Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by jacquesm on Friday March 22, 2019 @11:40AM (#19463602)
We had conscription here back in the 80's when my number came up I refused to join the army. There was a considerable price to pay including a possible jail term but there is nothing that would cause me to go and kill/harm others without a good enough reason.
Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by Topolomancer on Sunday March 24, 2019 @12:19PM (#19477117)
Interesting! I admire the strength of your moral conviction! Having grown up in a generation without conscription (I did not even have a normal military service, thankfully).
Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by jacquesm on Sunday March 24, 2019 @12:58PM (#19477359)
Mine was one of the last years that it was still active.
Re:The Priest of Abu Ghraib by azimovsky on Friday March 22, 2019 @03:49AM (#19460344)
> Sorry? Who with 'integrity, values and good character' joins an interrogation squad?

Best question on this thread.

Some food for thought:

https://vimeo.com/242569435