# Modern instruments of torture **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847 "2003-06-14T15:31:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/1 "2003-06-14T15:31:40Z")
The torture devices of old are well-known by many (the iron maiden, etc.) but what are “common” modern implements? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/2 "2003-06-14T15:36:45Z")
Reality TV ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/3 "2003-06-14T15:43:37Z")
Bindings. Binding people in uncomfortable postions for very long periods is an of used form of torture. It’s not a new form of torture IIRC it was used by the French Foreign Legion the colonial period too. Electrocution. Electric charge is applied to body in various places including the gentialia. Cigarettes. Cigarettes are stubbed out on the victims skin These are three of the most common forms of torture in the world today. ---
**Author:** ![Apollon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@Apollon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollon)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/4 "2003-06-14T18:17:30Z")
During the Greek junta they used to insert a glass rod into the penis and then whack it with a hammer so that it would break inside the penis. ---
**Author:** ![xicanorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a88e57/32.png) [@xicanorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xicanorex)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/5 "2003-06-14T18:55:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by liirogue \* > \*\*The torture devices of old are well-known by many (the iron maiden, etc.) but what are “common” modern implements? \*\* Bottled Mineral Water. A “favorite” torture device used by the federal police in Mexico is to use a bottle of mineral water and mix with chile powder (preferably chile piquin). Mix. Shake well. Gag victim’s mouth. Introduce at victim’s nostrils. I am not sure if our “honorable” Mexican police invented it, but patent may be still be pending. XicanoreX ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/6 "2003-06-14T19:46:24Z")
Denistry tools? ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/7 "2003-06-14T20:16:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xicanorex \* > \*\*Bottled Mineral Water. > A “favorite” torture device used by the federal police in Mexico is to use a bottle of mineral water and mix with chile powder (preferably chile piquin). Mix. Shake well. Gag victim’s mouth. Introduce at victim’s nostrils. > I am not sure if our “honorable” Mexican police invented it, but patent may be still be pending. > XicanoreX \*\* It’s called “tehuacanazo”, because a common mineral water brand name is “tehuacan”. Greetings, from another mexican. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/8 "2003-06-14T20:20:22Z")
I think that a lot of mental and psychological tortures are used–like sleep depravation, mind games, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Sinungaling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Sinungaling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinungaling)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/9 "2003-06-14T20:44:47Z")
Yes, I was just about to mention sleep deprivation. Modern interrogation techniques are slightly more sophisticated than the rack, but torture itself is still unreliable as a method of extracting accurate information. I believe sleep and sensory deprivation, combined with all sorts of drugs, are used to interrogate prisoners. Non-lethal weapons can also double as torture devices. Consider the taser, or pepper spray. They can cause a lot of pain, but don’t permanently damage the victim. Not physically, anyway. This information comes from an article in Time magazine read years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/10 "2003-06-14T20:48:52Z")
Read Solzhenitsyn’s _Gulag Archipelago_ - especially volume one, which can be distressingly graphic. Or Amnesty International reports. Their details on the Marcos regime in the Philippines gave me sleepless nights. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/11 "2003-06-14T23:53:17Z")
Wives. Soon to be Ex Wives. ---
**Author:** ![firagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/13edae/32.png) [@firagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firagon)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/12 "2003-06-15T00:09:05Z")
Heavy metal music. (I remember reading an article on this. Sorry, I don’t have a link!) ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/13 "2003-06-15T00:58:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by firagon \* > \*\*Heavy metal music. > > (I remember reading an article on this. Sorry, I don’t have a link!) \*\* Yes, I heard this on NPR. Used by US troops in Iraq. They said 24-48 hours of heavy metal will break down almost all the subjects. The US intelligence person they intervued also said that during his training they had to endure 24 hours of Barney and it turned him into a babbling idiot. /Markus ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/14 "2003-06-15T01:08:53Z")
Karaoke? -FK ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/15 "2003-06-15T02:58:14Z")
Drugs are a modern article in the torturer’s toybox. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/16 "2003-06-15T03:54:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xicanorex \* > \*\*Bottled Mineral Water. > > A “favorite” torture device used by the federal police in Mexico is to use a bottle of mineral water and mix with chile powder (preferably chile piquin). Mix. Shake well. Gag victim’s mouth. Introduce at victim’s nostrils. > > I am not sure if our “honorable” Mexican police invented it, but patent may be still be pending. > > XicanoreX \*\* You can see this being done in the movie _Traffic_. The scream they used on the soundtrack will stay with you for a while. ---
**Author:** ![stoyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@stoyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stoyel)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/17 "2003-06-15T04:11:02Z")
There’s always the ginger beer trick. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/18 "2003-06-15T06:15:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by firagon \* > \*\*Heavy metal music. > > (I remember reading an article on this. Sorry, I don’t have a link!) \*\* Manuel Noriega can vouch for that. (Bastard always knows when someone doesn’t have a link!) > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by zwede_ > \*\*The US intelligence person they intervued also said that during his training they had to endure 24 hours of Barney and it turned him into a babbling idiot. \*\* Ah, a classic spongin! Feed him some McDonald’s and let Grimace heal his shattered mind… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/19 "2003-06-15T16:33:51Z")
Someday the Army is going to run into some dictator who’s immune to heavy metal warfare. Just imagine; they’ve surrounded the Beloved Leader’s final bunker and blasted him with a hundred hours of Metallica at full volume. A recon unit is sent forward and one scout is able to peer isnide through a bomb crack. And there he sees Kim Il Sung, playing air guitar in the middle of a pile of empty beer bottles and pizza boxes, yelling “Lars Rules!!!” at the top of his lungs. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847/20 "2003-06-15T16:59:47Z")
They’d just send in Lars himself. Dictator would surrender in no time flat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-instruments-of-torture/181847.md?page=2)