THW legalize torture.

Definition: Torture: 1 : to cause intense suffering to : torment including mind and body 2 : to punish or coerce by inflicting excruciating pain 3 : to twist or wrench out of shape : distort , warp Other than this is classified as Interrogation GOVT: <Possible approach> Stance: We believe that torture is sometimes necessary in protecting citizens - security reasons. Mechanism: If nation is under martial law, under threat, or at risk of terrorist activities, torture is legal for prisoners of war only. Arg: 1. Torture produces information. rebuttal ---> Yeah. Unreliable ones. 2. Under pressure, suspects will be tortured for info anyway (ticking bomb scenario). rebuttal ---> We all see the need for a law against murder. But do we need a law for a bad act that happens at one millionth the rate of murder? Probably not. Legality should offer only a blurry reflection of morality, not its mirror image. Whereas morals delineate complex fractal lines, laws should follow smooth contours free of singularities. As the saying goes, "Hard cases make bad laws." This is not a weakness of the law but a strength: that's how it can be both universal and enforceable. No one's yet suggested a new speed limit sign: "55 Unless You're Taking Your Dying Uncle To The Hospital." Speed up if you must, and pay the price later. Tucking exceptions into law is courting the same trouble as overfitting a machine learning classifier, ie, loss of generalizing power and diminished appeal to universality. So at the end of the day, break the law, but pay the price later. It is ridiculous to suggest exceptions for every tiny details. 3. People who will be tortured are bad, no laws protect terrorists. rebuttal ---> There ARE laws that protect ALL human. Article 5 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights read: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. You would not go against what the rest of the world thinks is the right thing because you will ruin your countrys image. Nobody wants to trade with a dirty nation. Even if you doubt the statement above and proceed anyway, you shouldnt have done so because at the end of the day, your prisoners are humans like you, simply different ideals. Just as much as they are terrorists to you, YOU are terrorists to them. Reach for understanding if a better approach that force coerce confessions. 4. There are nations doing worse things. rebuttal ---> YOU should set standards for other nations not lower your standards. Its like saying, Billy stole 10 baht, I stole only 9 baht, so thats ok, Billy is worse. 5. Self-defense rebuttal ---> prisoners of war or prisoners are culpable bystanders, not culpable agressor. They cannot harm you. They should be the one raising case for self-preservation under you. Hurting them would almost be as if hurting civillains. Sure, prisoners are guilty, but under this logic, so does everyone else, for we all have done wrong at certain

points in our lives, and this prisoner happened to got caught. Also, this in turn would crash against the accepted legal doctrine that bystanders, even guilty ones, may not be hurt intentionally, according to the manifesto: Torture and the "Distributive Justice" Theory of Self-Defense: An Assessment, by W.R.P. Kaufman of UNs Ethics & International Affairs. 6. Extraordinary rendition (when you outsource third-world dictators to torture for you) rebuttal ---> The process takes a lot of money. If you have an alternative of a convenient medication at hand, you wouldnt spend all those money for extraordinary rendition for just one prisoner.

OPP: Introduction: We agree that this day and age, we are prone to terrorist attacks more than ever. However, so does the alarming increase rate of human rights violation, perfect example is the Abu Gharib prison and Guantanamo Bay. Torture, in its purest form will induce irreparable psychological, and sometimes physical, damage to all its victims, and legalizing it would be a slippery slope to a world worse off than it already is. Talking as a fellow human being, breathing and living under the same sun, nobody deserves to have to go through torture. (US always speak about the human right in Myanmar which is why Myanmar is in Outpost of Tyranny Do you dare spill on your own word on human right!!) [Please put this in your introduction, so its like a punch back!] the isStance: We believe that torture iswrong in all its forms, inefficient in its purpose, and legalizing it will do more harm than good. Characterization of torture: Torture is a glimpse into hell. Torture offends us through its frontal assault on human dignity. Beyond subverting free will into "anti-will"your being tortured does not simply violate you: it makes you violate yourselfit denies something even more fundamental than freedom: personhood. It dehumanizes not only the victim and the torturer, but society aAlternate Mechanism - Given the nation is in state of emerges a whole. ncy, use truth serum to extract information. Be status quo on sue: torture is illegal, so does extraordinary rendition. unction include ethanol, scopolamine, Truth serum = Sedatives or hypnotics that alter higher cognitive f3-quinuclidinyl benzilate, temazepam, and various barbiturates including sodium thiopental (commonly known as sodium pentothal) and sodium amytal (amobarbital). Justification: Humane - does less damage than torture - and quick - most terrorists are trained against pain, but chemicals take effects right away. //Effects of drugs may be unreliable - the drug will increase talking, release only what the person 'belief', and truth/fantasy may intertwine because of that. rebuttal---> Even if the drug is unreliable as such, so does torture. In rare cases, torture gives the same unreliability, but most of the time it is even worse BECAUSE torture also makes people talk - but only what the guards want to hear, may not be the truth or even what the person BELIEVES is the truth. //Unethical use of truth serum is considered torture under international law. rebuttal ---> but our use is not unethical. It is very ethical because we want to save lives. Besides, torture is subjective, just as everything defined by international law: eg. International court rules out Khao Pra Vihear to be Cambodian, which is still in dispute. Cannot rely everything on man made standards.

1. Philological - It is impossible to write a law that justifies torture:Torture is subjective ---> impossible to write laws by.: 1.1. Different people have different contexts about torture (principle)

Prisoner - Different people have different endurance to pain. Pain may also be pleasure for some. For some, like kids, homework is torture. Torturer - How will the torturer be able to keep up with all the different types of prisoners? Or maybe the torturer is a sadist and flogging may not be torture for him, but routine. Or maybe the torturer is a god-fearing Christian, and scolding needlessly is already committing torture to him. Since 1987, Israel use "moderate physical pressure". Technically it is not torture, it is just beating the living shit out of you until you say something. Government - It is impossible for government to write standards to satisfies all of the above. People - Normal citizens have concept of torture in mind from photos of Abu Gharib prisons, if gov't were to issue this law, for the sake of their own well-being, they will protest. Global community - they will look at the nation with distrust b/c this nation violates human rights. This distrust is harmful for international relations.

1.2. Laws written are impossible to interpret due to its subjectiveness (practical) In case that out of security context, what will be the punishments for people who use 'torture'? Furthermore, what is torture? Assault? Rape? What? Current status quo already takes care of all possible physical harm. Better to use that than to mention 'torture', or else in worse case scenario, ANYTING can be interpreted to be torture, and that will not be good for running a country. Even if torture is OK outside of security concept (if gov't says so), then that will be a dangerous slippery slope to legal bullying. Worst that all other slippery slope because the nature of torture is so subjective. 1.3. Even if our justice system is so perfect as to be able to deal with all the possible abuse of the policy, there will still be disputes regarding what 'torture' is according to different context. CONCLUSION: Because the definition of torture is so subjective, writing a law out of it is impossible and the gov't case is already obsolete. 2. Legalizing torture will cause more harm than good. 2.1. Excuse of 'security reasons' will always morph to an instrument of power. (past context) We can imply this from historical context. Political stability excuses for means of warfare: Examples: Vietnam War - Excuse for the Communist Domino Effect drag US to an unwinnable war in order for US to show off its power to South-East Asia Sphere of Influence. Korean War - US troops intercept North Korean army in order to preserve Democratic Korea then pushes its army North. The original deal was for the truce at 38th parallel, but US, for the purpose of showing off its power, pushes back as far as Pyong-yang which causes China to retailiate. Iraq - US use excuse of Global Security with questionable intel to invade Iraq, but at the end of the day, extort national resources from Iraqi soils. The list goes on. 2.2. Violation of human rights with facade of security is already in action covertly. (present context) National security excuses for means of enhancing physical power: Examples: Israel: Since 1967, more than half a million Palestinians were prosecuted through military courts that fall far short of international standards of due process.

Convictions are based on coerced confessions, and for decades Israeli interrogation tactics have entailed the use of torture and ill-treatment. Tens of thousands more Palestinians were never prosecuted, but were instead held in administrative detention for months or years. America: Same thing in Guantanamo Bay. People suspect of "UnAmerican Acitivities" are detained "as long as necessary" and most are physically abuse under the process. Iraq: We are fortunate that photos of evidence of mistreat of Iraqi detainees in Abu Gharib prison are released, so we know what's going on. God knows how much more of this will happen if we legalize it.

2.3. Even without legalizing it, there are plenty of it. Legalizing it will result in routine, large-scale implementation. (future context) Imagine George Orwells 1984s Ministry of Love. It is Guantanamo Bay on a national level. Those with contradicting thoughts with the state will be institutionalized, tortured, and brain-wash. The nation will become a police state. This can be implied from arguments 2.1 and 2.2 The US government abuse its excuse to power every opportunity it gets for the past 100 years. The abuse is not minor, it is on a War scale. The frequency of this happening has doubled in the past 10 years with the War on Terror. If we legalize torture now, it is the perfect excuse for government to take total control for the benefits and safety of the American people. They would because, seriously, who doesnt enjoy power? 2.4. Violate human right Right inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality place of residence, sexuality, national or ethics. everyone has different colour skins, religion, language. We all should be equally entitled to our human rights w/o discrimination. These rights are all interrelated interdependent, and indivisible - Quote from UN human rights. Even the worst people still classified to be human being, terrorist also. They deserve their right to be treated mindfully They have right in their mind and body Torture hurt their body. Sadistic action Truth serum dont Torture is against that set of mindfully action, just like an act of animal. It produces unnecessary pain to a person mind or body There are other alternatives to get information out of the suspect. Take the "Chinese water method" for example. It's not even a splash of water on the face. It's just a drip. But even a drip sustained long and relentlessly enough is torture. 2.5. Ruins national image US always speak about the human right in Myanmar which is why Myanmar is in Outpost of Tyranny Do you dare spill on your own word on human right!! A person is not guilty until they are proven to be. Maybe a terrorist which got arrested may not be a guilty terrorist. A US police officer's code of conduct always states, "Protect yourself first, then subdue the criminal, secure those in danger around you, NEVER engage a foe unless the OFFICERS life is in danger or the foes life is in danger." CONCLUSION: Legalizing torture will be a slippery slope to the government abusing its power.

3. Practical - For all purposes of torture, there are better alternatives. 3.1. Information from torture is unreliable: 3.1.a. Real terrorists Trained killers or terrorists are trained to die rather than given up their secret information No matter how hard we torture them, they arent giving anything to us Eg. 9/11 terrorist Given that information is not worth the further risk A suspect family may get in danger once information is given. If a person dares to plant a bomb to kill million of people, he wouldnt mind losing his life. 3.1.b. Normal people People will say anything Under torture, normal people will say anything to make the pain ends. Information not reliable, could lead to more harm. Eg. Salems witch hunt. In late 1690s in town of Salem, a couple of teenage girls are accused of witchcraft. Under interrogation, they want to pass the blame onto someone else, so they blame people they hate of witchcraft. People who are further interrogated and tortured also pass the blame to more people. In the end, hundreds were imprisoned and over 50 people were hanged. Truth serum is better People cant lie under truth serum. 3.2. Alt. mechanism works just as, or better than torture. Reliability Torture makes people speak in order to make the pain end. Truth serum makes people say what they belief. Efficiency Torture leave behind serious damage, and produce scorns from third parties. Medication is quick and effective, no serious damage left behind. No one will ever have to know, no case for suspect to build on. OR we can ALSO feed them Rophynol. They wont even have recollection of them being captured and interrogated. Plus, no marks left behind like torture, so there wont be a single reminder. Even if what people belief are a mixture of wild fantasies and reality, at least some truth can be accounted to it, unlike torture in which most of the time people conjure up stuff completely to fit what torturer wants to hear. 3.3. Even if truth serum is not available, there are other techniques. Psychological There are a person who is trained specially for the interrogation purpose Use mind technique in acquiring information Real terrorists are always psychopath that is why they dare to do serious stuff By using psychological solution, it is painless and easy to extract information from a suspect. CONCLUSION: Torture is unreliable, legalizing it would not solve harm. ??? If torture really work, there wouldnt be a deal propose and accept in trial between a district attorney and a suspect.

District attorney and police dont have to know every single detail that is why there is a client & lawyer confidentiality act. Its human nature to want thing in exchange. You want their information, you have exchange something with them Thats surely not pain! (Link to Arg. 3: Chain of revenge)

4. Philosophical - Torture is morally wrong 4.1. All code of ethics speaks against it. Christ say always forgive another. Dont go hurt another Article 5 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights read: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. If we torture other, it is like were being one of the bad guys. We do not respect other people right. These people merely have different beliefs. As much as they are terrorists to us, we are terrorists to them. All evidences point to the direction of mutual understanding, which would in the long term solve problem of dissents. 4.2. Existential significance can produce conundrum A suspect who get torture always keep their rage for revenge They may revenge torturer, himself, his relative, and family once the suspect has chance. Eg. Just like a child who was raised in abad surrounding. The idea of the self of the ones being tortured extends to his/her ethnic group, religious group, etc. and cause a wide-scale conflict. Example: Conflicts in the middle east with Israel: Black September - when Jordan try to restore its rule over Palestine, armed conflicts broke out. Most notable is the 1972 Munich Massacre, when Israeli athelets are massacred by the Palestinian rebel group. The conflict lasted till today. CONSLUSION: Principally, torture is wrong, and the violation does not apply only for the ones being tortured but people around them as well.