# Is torture ever justified? Could it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 27, 2001, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074 "2001-09-27T07:21:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/21 "2001-09-27T23:58:52Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by bdgr_ Well, obviously I have no personal experiance with performig this procedure, but as was related to me by my friend, one advantages of this method is that it left no marks or physical damage Had to wonder how on earth your friend knows? ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/22 "2001-09-28T00:45:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IJGrieve \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > _Originally posted by bdgr_ Well, obviously I have no personal experiance with performig this procedure, but as was related to me by my friend, one advantages of this method is that it left no marks or physical damage > > Had to wonder how on earth your friend knows? \*\* He was US Army Special Forces(Green Berret). Your tax dollars at work. ---
**Author:** ![permissiontofreelspeekly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@permissiontofreelspeekly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/permissiontofreelspeekly)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/23 "2001-09-28T23:33:57Z")
Torture has been justified in many countries in many ages, some just recently. The South African police force in the 70’s used hot liquid on the privates, and hanging people upsidedown like a goat over coals to get confessions. There are canings in many countries now. ---
**Author:** ![shannybonanny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@shannybonanny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shannybonanny)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/24 "2001-09-29T04:29:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > \*\*Yes, I agree, its still torture, but if were a “where did you hide the suitcase nuke that will go off next week” kind of situation, I could see this as being more humane than cutting thier feet off. \*\* Hmmm…that got me thinking. What if someone had information about the location of a planted nuke, and would only reveal that it was going to detonate in 48 hours and was large enough to wipe out an entire state? How do you get them to tell you fast enough to prevent it? Even if the person was tortured, all they have to do is hold out until it detonates. What a hairball. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/25 "2001-09-29T04:56:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by shannybonanny \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > > \*\*Yes, I agree, its still torture, but if were a “where did you hide the suitcase nuke that will go off next week” kind of situation, I could see this as being more humane than cutting thier feet off. \*\* > > Hmmm…that got me thinking. What if someone had information about the location of a planted nuke, and would only reveal that it was going to detonate in 48 hours and was large enough to wipe out an entire state? How do you get them to tell you fast enough to prevent it? Even if the person was tortured, all they have to do is hold out until it detonates. What a hairball. \*\* In that case you make them listen to britany spears, with no video. I know its extreme, but you gotta do what you gotta do. ---
**Author:** ![RoboDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@RoboDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoboDude)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/26 "2001-09-29T05:28:35Z")
If a great many innocent lives are in danger, and the only way they can be saved is by torturing the person who is trying to kill them, how would that be any more immoral than a person killing an armed criminal in self defense? > [@](#): > > If we torture someone with superficially good utilitarian reason, we still have to take into consideration the likely consequences of the particular act as regards future legislation and torture. While “slippery slope” arguments can be justified in some cases, I’m not entirely sure this is one of them. Should we stop giving police officers guns because ot might lead to them being allowed to shoot suspected criminals on sight? Should we stop allowing citizens to use lethal force to defend themselves because it might lead to legalization of murder? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/27 "2001-09-29T06:14:45Z")
> [@](#): > > If a great many innocent lives are in danger, and the only way they can be saved is by torturing the person who is trying to kill them, how would that be any more immoral than a person killing an armed criminal in self defense? Is this in response to me? I’ve never claimed anything of the sort (nor would I). > [@](#): > > While “slippery slope” arguments can be justified in some cases, I’m not entirely sure this is one of them. > > Should we stop giving police officers guns because ot might lead to them being allowed to shoot suspected criminals on sight? > > Should we stop allowing citizens to use lethal force to defend themselves because it might lead to legalization of murder? It’s just a matter of how we (subjectively) view the relative probabilities of these various “slopes” from occuring, and how we then view the amount of harm that said “slopes,” if realized, would cause. In other words, we try – as best we are able – to avoid harm. ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/28 "2001-09-29T11:18:00Z")
This may be more of a General Question, but aren’t there drugs you can use to get information out of people more reliably than torture? Heck, I would start out with plain old alcohol… ---
**Author:** ![HairyPotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@HairyPotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HairyPotter)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/29 "2001-09-29T13:33:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by shannybonanny \* > > > > Hmmm…that got me thinking. What if someone had information about the location of a planted nuke, and would only reveal that it was going to detonate in 48 hours and was large enough to wipe out an entire state? How do you get them to tell you fast enough to prevent it? Even if the person was tortured, all they have to do is hold out until it detonates. What a hairball. \*\* > > In that case you make them listen to britany spears, with no video. I know its extreme, but you gotta do what you gotta do. \*\* And if they still didn’t talk, would you play the video? ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/30 "2001-09-29T14:14:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HairyPotter \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by bdgr \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by shannybonanny \* > > > > > > Hmmm…that got me thinking. What if someone had information about the location of a planted nuke, and would only reveal that it was going to detonate in 48 hours and was large enough to wipe out an entire state? How do you get them to tell you fast enough to prevent it? Even if the person was tortured, all they have to do is hold out until it detonates. What a hairball. \*\* > > > > In that case you make them listen to britany spears, with no video. I know its extreme, but you gotta do what you gotta do. \*\* > > And if they still didn’t talk, would you play the video? \*\* Oh, theyll talk alright… ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074/31 "2001-09-29T15:06:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weird\_AL\_Einstein \* > \*\*This may be more of a General Question, but aren’t there drugs you can use to get information out of people more reliably than torture? Heck, I would start out with plain old alcohol… \*\* Heh heh heh. I’m having this vision of Osama bin Laden, stinking drunk and surrounded by Special Forces. It’s really amusing, so I say we do it even if we don’t get a bit of information. Also, re: the OP. Justified, yes. Legal, no. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-torture-ever-justified-could-it-be/84074.md?page=1)