Smarter, Not Harsher
Smarter, Not Harsher
by Matthew Alexander, Small Wars Journal Op-Ed
Smarter, Not Harsher (Full PDF Article)
TV shows like 24 incorporate interrogations and the use of torture under the “ticking bomb” scenario because it is dramatic and entertaining. The myriad of cop shows on TV (including NYPD Blue, CSI, Law & Order, and The Shield) consistently use harsh and forceful interrogation scenes to build excitement, it is a favorite topic of talking head political shows, and was a major topic in the recent presidential debates.
What’s interesting to me is that the debate over torture in interrogations is morally important, but pragmatically irrelevant. Politicians and bureaucrats supporting the current administration have put in Herculean efforts to legalize harsh techniques, labeled “enhanced interrogation techniques,” and to keep them classified. These methods are in complete contradiction to the standards that we expect our own troops, when captured, to be afforded and they are incompatible with American principles. Enhanced interrogation techniques are torture by the standards of the Geneva Conventions which we proclaim to uphold. What’s most important, they are neither the most efficient nor reliable methods of achieving cooperation.
