Chris Hitchens being waterboarded.

[RandFan]

He thinks it's torture now.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/video/2008/hitchens_video200808

Big, big thanks. I've been in many debates here and started a few threads about the subject. I've moved from my position of "interrogation techniques" to being something that we should just stop a while back.

Again, thank you.

ETA: It's a bit overly dramatic but I've no doubt accurate as far as the music and hoods go. And no, I wouldn't want to go through it even if it is overly dramatized. I suppose my complaint is a bit trivial.

 

[GreyICE]

It seemed the waterboard guys were a lttle optimistic before they brought Hitchens in when they stated their strategy was going to be one round of fifteen minute boarding with a fifteen minute break before another fifteen minutes of boarding before a break to be followed by a thirty minute session. It only took a few seconds and they almost killed him. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack when they took his hood off. He looked like he was ten on a scale of ten for physical distress. Somebody should have realized he wasn't in good enough shape to be tortured like that. That looked way too dangerous in pursuit of a story. He's not a young guy. That was a stupid idea.

Those were seconds. 15 seconds of torture, 15 seconds off. 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off.

It's because you're drowning a person, see. Try it constantly, and they actually drown.

 

[Cain]

What a wimp. There can be no doubt he's still a leftie.

 

[Kiosk]

The hilarious thing, of course, is that Hitchens thought that he was experiencing the same thing as a terrorist suspect.

Chris, the difference is that you walked in there of your own volition, knowing you could tell them to stop at any time, then scoot off for a whisky. It's not the same thing, OK?

 

[RandFan]

The hilarious thing, of course, is that Hitchens thought that he was experiencing the same thing as a terrorist suspect.

Chris, the difference is that you walked in there of your own volition, knowing you could tell them to stop at any time, then scoot off for a whisky. It's not the same thing, OK?

Cool. Now you do it. One man's accusation of anothers cowardice is... oh, look over there...

 

[GreNME]

Chris Hitchens being waterboarded.

I can think of two individuals aside from Hitchens that I'd like to see go through that. This was a good start, though.

I find it appalling and embarrassing that this is even a debate in American discourse.

 

[Kiosk]

Cool. Now you do it. One man's accusation of anothers cowardice is... oh, look over there...

It wasn't an accusation of cowardice, anyway. You wouldn't get me up on one of those things.

I'm just saying that test-driving a waterboard, horrific as it may be, hardly replicates the experience of torture. In the same way that running for a bus is not like running for your life.

 

[RandFan]

It wasn't an accusation of cowardice, anyway. You wouldn't get me up on one of those things.

I'm just saying that test-driving a waterboard, horrific as it may be, hardly replicates the experience of torture. In the same way that running for a bus is not like running for your life.

Fair enough. Thanks.

 

[plumjam]

I'm not following the thread, but have just noticed that it's RandFan's birthday.. so Very Happy Birthday RandFan.. I mostly disagree with you, but I think you add a lot to the forum (for what my 2 cents are worth)

 

[RandFan]

I'm not following the thread, but have just noticed that it's RandFan's birthday.. so Very Happy Birthday RandFan.. I mostly disagree with you, but I think you add a lot to the forum (for what my 2 cents are worth)

Thanks.

 

[Seismosaurus]

The hilarious thing, of course, is that Hitchens thought that he was experiencing the same thing as a terrorist suspect.

Chris, the difference is that you walked in there of your own volition, knowing you could tell them to stop at any time, then scoot off for a whisky. It's not the same thing, OK?

He said that himself in the interview.

I once actually had to calm a guy down after he had experienced waterboarding. Although I wasn't there to see what he went through or anything, he was pretty damn upset about it afterwards. The reading up on it I did sure made it seem like torture to me.

 

[Beerina]

Those were seconds. 15 seconds of torture, 15 seconds off. 15 seconds on, 15 seconds off.

It's because you're drowning a person, see. Try it constantly, and they actually drown.

In other words, the fuzzy description is that it's "simulated drowning" is actually incorrect. It's forced, if temporary, drowning in a controlled environment.


So just because something isn't physically damaging, it's not torture?

 

[fishbob]

In other words, the fuzzy description is that it's "simulated drowning" is actually incorrect. It's forced, if temporary, drowning in a controlled environment.

In Hitchens interview on NPR, he said something similar.
"Simulated" is a media talking point sort of misrepresentative lie.