Comments on: Torture Did Not Lead Us To Bin Laden (And Other Obvious Truths About “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques”)

By: Greta

Greta — Wed, 18 May 2011 03:18:03 +0000

This is another Carter/ Shea distortion of fact.

By: Carson Chittom

Carson Chittom — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:02:54 +0000

@Publius: The military leaders (which includes Hitler) of a country one is at war with are legitimate military targets. Killing them is not “assassination,” any more than killing a front-line soldier is.

By: JB in CA

JB in CA — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:30:01 +0000

his or her line of reasoning, that is.

By: JB in CA

JB in CA — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:28:35 +0000

Let’s examine that logic:

Techique X has been used in the past.

Only techniques that are effective are ever used.

Ergo, Technique X must be effective.

Do you really think that is an effective line of reasoning?

Joe Carter: Do you really think that was his line of reasoning?

By: Publius

Publius — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:26:02 +0000

OK, so the Hitler conspirators, including members of the OSS, were just regular criminals. Good to know. It must be such a stress free existence living with such pat answers.

By: John

John — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:17:54 +0000

I wonder if Joe approves of targeted assassinations? Why? I can’t prove Osama’s death was an assassination, but it sure looks that way.

By: Carson Chittom

Carson Chittom — Fri, 13 May 2011 20:07:29 +0000

@Publius: You write, “Anyway, is plotting an assassination a “war crime”?”

No, I’m pretty sure that’s just a regular crime.

By: Publius

Publius — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:53:53 +0000

Carson,

OK, so we’ve establised that Lincoln and Truman were “war criminals.” Hell, throw George Washington into the mix, his troops executed Tories on occasion and looted from civilians. I had no idea I was reading the blog for “The Nation.” . . . This is getting better by the minute. . . Anyway, is plotting an assassination a “war crime”?

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:26:10 +0000

Michael Snow:
I’ll ask again: Presuming that torture works, which I don’t, isn’t it a Christian justification of it to say that we’re called to love our neighbors, and that this begins with defending them against unjust harm? Supposing torture works and we oppose it, aren’t we saying that causing extreme pain to mass murderers and would-be mass murderers is worse than allowing innocents to be killed?

By: Carson Chittom

Carson Chittom — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:14:56 +0000

@Publius: You write: “Enjoy your comfortable existence while these people, these “war criminals,” like Bush and Truman (where’s Lincoln? His Generals killed civilians) allow you and your fellow hypocrites to pontificate in a free country.”

The point is not whether the actions that caused these presidents to be called “war criminals” were effective—that’s a separate discussion—it’s whether it is whether they were morally right.

But to answer you, yes, Lincoln and Truman both would be war criminal by modern standards.