Blog against torture day

[kayshapero]

Apparently today is "Blog Against Torture Day" and .. basically what he said.  Thanks, filkertom! Also some comments from ozarque (), ataniell93 (), and thatcrazycajun ().


On another note - Bhutan is in the process of changing from a monarchy to a democracy (specifically a constitutional monarchy) at the request of the king. The people aren't too sure about this, especially since they like the current monarch, and when I look at some of the things our own system turns up from time to time, I can understand the concern. Of course at least when you get stuck with a clinker in the White House it only lasts about 8 years, whereas if you've got a bad king they can hang on indefinitely... I am inclined to agree with the monarch in question - better to do it when it can be done peacefully than wait until it has to be done by force.

Comments

[eric-hinkle.livejournal.com]

Whatever happens, I hope it ends well for the people of Bhutan (and not with them getting "liberated" by Red China like one of their neighbors did).

Peace and prosperity to the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

[cloudchaser-s.livejournal.com]

I agree, I too hope that things end well for bhutan

[cloudchaser-s.livejournal.com]

I have mixed feeling about torture. Some say that if you torture a man enough, s/he will tell you whatever you want to know, but at the same time, who is more likely to talk, a terrorist that's being pampered and coddled or one that's being slapped around? If only there was a reliable way to get need to know info such as where criminals are, when they're gonna do their crime, etc. I've yet to see a convincing reason why the police shouldn't know such info

[kayshapero]

Y'know, there's a difference between "being coddled" and "not being beaten up and half drowned"...

[cloudchaser-s.livejournal.com]

True, the problem is that there's no clear line as to what is and isn't going too far

[kayshapero]

Well, we could start with "not violating the Geneva Accords". I'm reminded of one of Everett Cole's "Philosophical Corps" tales where someone tried to have thumbscrews declared "not torture" and someone else offered to try one on him to demonstrate.