I know you don't believe in God, but still you did use a phrase from the bible, so I thought I let you know. This here isn't about religion though.
I know. I don't believe in religion, I believe religion is bullshit hocus pocus that was forged to do what captures people even more than a jail cell - to brainwash them. I do, however, believe that the ten commandments reflect the selfish nature of humans. Every sentient being enjoys living and will instinctively do anything to prevent death. If you enjoy life, you wouldn't want anyone to take it from you now would you, so religion was born. That's what I believe, and so I retain the right to use any phrase from the bible that has a universal meaning in any context I please. I don't see how that is something I can get called out on.
Preach sorry, but u gotta quite smokin weed OR start again cause you make no sense at all. OK people get hurt in relationships but to compare that with a system of torture makes no sense at all. Don't you get the difference, I mean, seriously?
I did say it was a wild comparison and that I was just throwing dots out there for you to connect. I said this in my post. Re-read it. I didn't say it was a fair comparison, but it should paint a picture of the KIND OF COMPARISONS that keep me from giving an ultimate "no" to torture. I just can't think of anything right now, but there's probably hundreds of situations where the torture of one person would benefit at least two or more people. That's fair to me. Agree to disagree then.
If a person hurts another person that's one thing, that's a personal thing. If people are systematically tortured that's slightly different. I'm really surprised by your comments, I never thought you'd argue that way.
Why is it slightly different? Because it's all in the mind? You realize that the power the mind has over your body is pretty big? You realize that, although our instincts should make us try and prevent death, the mind can go crazy to which the end result is that people kill themselves? Psychological health has always been underrated. The piece of your post that I quoted is an opinion. Trust me friend, there are a LOT of people who think differently. But like I said earlier, that wasn't really a fair comparison and I specified that it wasn't, it was just a crazy idea I threw out there to try and paint a picture for you. I'm talking abstract. Either way, you said that physical and mental pain are different, and of course they are, but the fact that inflicting physical pain on someone is worse than mental pain is a social construct, not something everyone should just take for granted. I'm sure a person who never broke a bone in his body and never got a bruise, but suffered from depressions and anxiety all his life, would tell you different. Open your mind instead of narrowing it, I say.
See, sometimes to drunekn people might start a fight in a bar and someone might get hurt. So does that mean it's okey for a police officer to beat up people? Dude, if you don't get the difference I don't know how to explain it, sorry.
No it's not, but now we're talking about two different things. I have specified that my thoughts are speculative. I have no grounds on which to base an assumption about how I'd handle a real situation, but my best guess is that I would never condone torture. I said this many times. I am, however, open to the idea. And that's why I said that in any case, I would use my best judgment. It's like saying you're never gonna have another cigarette when you quit smoking, I mean, how the fuck do you know what you'll do when you're drunk as fuck one night or super-depressed and desperate for ANYTHING?
As to your policeman example, well.. Like I said, that's a different thing altogether, because police work for the government. They enforce the rules set by the government. As far as I know, what you described is not legal and not allowed. It doesn't have anything to do with morals or with justice, because it's illegal to get high and it's illegal to drive without a seatbelt, and shit, it's even illegal to commit suicide. I happen to think I should be able to do what I damn well please with my own body. So long as I pay the doctor I should be able to chop my arm off if I want to. Policemen enforce a set of rules that they may or may not disagree with, but police have a symbolical value. If a policeman violates his mandate he is at fault and should be dealt with accordingly. No, he shouldn't beat a person up, but this thread didn't originate from a discussion about whether or not people who have tortured others should be tortured themselves, we are talking about the United States condoning certain forms of torture, using semantics to cover it up. I'm not saying an eye for an eye, I'm saying that if a person is withholding vital information that could save lives and torture is the only means to get it, I'm partially okay with it. If I made the executive decision it would haunt me forever, but I'd know I'd made the right decision.
That said, people who kidnap girls, strap them up and cut them while raping them and variations of such people I would gladly torture to an extent. Crushing knee caps and pulling out teeth is a little extreme, but I would gladly shoot their balls off and leave them to bleed to death. Maybe that makes me as bad as them but whatever then. I guess I am then. Fuck those people.
I'm really glad it does. Ever heard about human rights?
Quoted completely out of context. You didn't get my point. How do I say this. You are on a spree. You are on a tip. It's that anti-torture tip. That humanitarian tip. You're that guy. I'm on a completely different trip. If we sat down and talked for a few hundred hours and really got to know each other, I think you would probably find that I have as many moral opinions as you, they are just on different matters than you. Let's say you would easily smack a fly while I think every living thing deserves respect. Then you might say "they're only insects". Okay. Fair deal. I say the people who are tortured are only scumbags. Same logic. Who is right, who is wrong?
Ultimately, like I've said many times, I do not condone torture, but I am open to the idea if the circumstances call for it, in which case I would have to know the circumstances and then use my best judgment.
So Bush and his supporters are partially responsible for every illegal act that US soliders commit in Iraq from rape 2 murder... right? So that would justify to slap him around, starve him a little or maybe even 2 execute him. Right?
If it would have no repercussions for my life (ie. jail), hand me a pistol and I will gladly put two to his head. And one in the balls. And then another one in the head to make completely sure he's fucking dead. I swear on my mother.
Bullshit aside, I don't think Bush should be president, but my thinking that doesn't change a damn thing. I do, however, think he deserves to get slapped a little. Just for being a cock in general.