Even though the techniques are morally wrong, if the government gets a conviction from the confession this is argued to be a good 'result'. Furthermore, because killing for terror (9/11, Madrid, London, Mumbai) is so wrong, the result of a conviction for a terror suspect has a high value. The value of the end result (in this case, conviction) is rated higher than the wrong of the means (techniques involving harm) and was therefore argued by Bush to be morally correct (end justifies the means).
However in my opinion this is absurdly wrong argument. It is wrong at every moment along the way and therefore the end result is also wrong. Every action was taken with the aim of obtaining a predetermined result (convicting) and is therefore unjust (not open and fair).
True result - the U.S. government gets confessions made under conditions harmful to the person being interrogated).
A conviction ascertained via 'torture' is not upheld in a court of criminal law. To get around this, what Bush did is to re-define torture by law to exclude waterboarding, a technique that causes extreme distress to the person being interrogated.
I think this is just playing with the letter of the law. The spirit of the law still applies, confession is obtained by wrongful practise and therefore invalid. Respect for Bush has gone down and level of hate in the world went up, everything has been escalated.
However in my opinion this is absurdly wrong argument. It is wrong at every moment along the way and therefore the end result is also wrong. Every action was taken with the aim of obtaining a predetermined result (convicting) and is therefore unjust (not open and fair).
True result - the U.S. government gets confessions made under conditions harmful to the person being interrogated).
A conviction ascertained via 'torture' is not upheld in a court of criminal law. To get around this, what Bush did is to re-define torture by law to exclude waterboarding, a technique that causes extreme distress to the person being interrogated.
I think this is just playing with the letter of the law. The spirit of the law still applies, confession is obtained by wrongful practise and therefore invalid. Respect for Bush has gone down and level of hate in the world went up, everything has been escalated.
Another term Bush re-defined: Prisoner-Of-War, was re-defined to 'Enemy Combatant'. Why? To avoid the prisoner being granted rights under the Geneva Convention on War of course!
Obama has repealed this, thank God.
Sources: US drops 'Ememy Combatant' Term, BBC news website, accessed 14.3.09
Hooray for Obama!
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