More Pervasive Ignorance – Part 3 – Torture Blog

In continuing my series of pointing out the ignorance rampent in our society.  I’d like to point out a post regarding torture and arguing that effectiveness shouldn’t be a measure for whether to torture or not.  The writer states the following:

As a student of the laws of war, war crimes and human rights, I don’t recall ‘effectiveness’ as ever being much of an excuse. Imagine you were a juror for a murder trial, where the accused admits to having killed his 30 year old neighbor and two children because the children wouldn’t stop crying. What would you think if he got off because, although he definitely killed them with a pickaxe, frankly it worked?

Ok, interesting example.  But let’s change it to be slightly more realistic.  What if the murderer killed the family and children because they were terrorists and had planted a nuclear explosive in NYC and the only way to stop them was to kill them before they could reach the trigger.  Now the murderer becomes a hero right? Of course.  What about the Navy SEALs that shot the pirates dead to save one man (3:1 ratio) not very effective but still an acceptable result.   If we can justify war or those snipers killing can torture not also be justified? Of course because killing is much more permanent and dramatic then torture by any stretch of imagination.

It is obvious from this post that their are those out their that think killing, torture, or violence of any form cannot be justified.

Because it is human nature to want to fight, to act, to do anything possible to protect oneself, but that does not make it right or legal.

Regardless of effectiveness? What a conclusion! This is the sickness of the pervasive ignorance in our society.  Under no circumstances should people “fight, act, or do” things to protect themselves.  Human natures desire to survive doesn’t mean it is right or legal to desire to survive.   I assume we should not be at war against Islamic terrorism.  We probably were to blame for 9-11.  “It’s our fault we don’t understand the bad guys enough.  If only we understood them!”   The wacko left argument is it doesn’t matter if it’s proved effective as we’ve had no attack since then we have no right to avoid an attack because morally war, torture, and killing can never be justified.   

It is the fool that says I’m going to try to understand the criminal that is coming to destroy me and my family.  It is the smart one that prepares a defense against the oncoming attack.  It is the wise one that leaves his family at home and goes out to meet the enemy at their home first.  Unfortunately the pervasive ignorance in society runs deep. 

Our government not only has a duty to protect us from others, but also to protect us from our baser natures

As those out their seek to take away the means by which our government protects us they desire to turn our government inwards to protect us from our baser natures because of our ignorance.  It is funny how in this persons own post they admit their baseness and call on the government for their salvation.  It’s to bad their are those of us who are intelligent and DO NOT think the government should dictate morality.   I do not think people are moral but I do not think it is the job of the State to decide what people are moral and which are not.  This is for countries like Iran. 

I do not understand why those like the Violet Revolution seek to make us into nations like Iran where morality is dictated by the great moralists and ethicist in Government.  They support laws like Hate Crime laws.  They support taxes against the successful to oppress them.  They support legislation that reduces the freedom of choice in schools, health care, and other options. 

Remember freedom is not free.  It was bought with the blood shed of warfare, action, and fight.  It remains bought by doing what is right and doing what is effective.