Say Anything Blog

If waterboarding does allow us to collect meaningful, effective intelligence then I think we are fools not to use it.

Do the ends justify the means?

Ahh, but the strawberries that’s… that’s where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with… geometric logic

If burning people alive allows us to collect meaningful, effective intelligence, are we fools not to use that as well?

Weren’t you just advocating that we should dip terrorists into boiling acid or something to get them to talk?

No, the ends don’t justify the means.  What I’m saying is that after observing the “means” (waterboarding in this instance) I find it a perfectly acceptable way to achieve our “ends” (national security, actionable intelligence) and I think those who have an objection are fools.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Rob: So there are times when you would put the interests of the suspected terrorists over the interests of innocent Americans?

(EG, the suspected terrorist’s interest in not getting boiled alive would be valued more highly by you than our interest in acquiring “the sort of intelligence that keeps this country safe.” You would prefer our country be less safe...yes?)

Frankly, it utterly disgusts me.  He suffered no real permanent mental trauma from it because he could “tap” out, he didn’t have to worry about it happening anytime and for hours on end, he didn’t have it done to him dozens of times for hours on end.  I don’t find that acceptable, psychological trauma is just as dehabilitating as physical trauma.  The ends do not justify the means ever.  Having a good ending means nothing if you become the monsters you fought against.  Sickening.