Argumentative Essay On Torture

Torture is something that is known as wrong internationally. Torture is “deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting on the orders of authority, to force a person to yield information, to confess, or any other reason” (World Medical Association, 1975, pg.1). There is a general consensus that there is a right to be free from any kind of torture as it can be found in many different human rights treaties around the world. The treaties show that all of the thoughts about torture are pointing away from the right to torture someone no matter what the case

In the article, “The Torture Myth,” Anne Applebaum explores the controversial topic of torture practices, focused primarily in The United States. The article was published on January 12, 2005, inspired by the dramatic increase of tensions between terrorist organizations and The United States. Applebaum explores three equality titillating concepts within the article. Applebaum's questions the actual effectiveness of using torture as a means of obtaining valuable information in urgent times. Applebaum explores the ways in which she feels that the United States’ torture policy ultimately produces negative effects upon the country. Applebaum's final question is if torture is not optimally successful, why so much of society believes it

With the poorly supported claim that “torture is [justifiable] only to save lives,” Levin presents weakly supported cases that appeal to the reader’s sense of emotion where torture might be valid. In the first scenario, he describes a terrorist threatening an overpopulated city with an atomic bomb; the second, a terrorist who has kidnapped a mother’s baby.

Torture is known as the intentional infliction of either physical or psychological harm for the purpose of gaining something – typically information – from the subject for the benefit of the inflictor. Normal human morality would typically argue that this is a wrongful and horrendous act. On the contrary, to deal with the “war on terrorism” torture has begun to work its way towards being an accepted plan of action against terrorism targeting the United States. Terroristic acts perpetrate anger in individuals throughout the United States, so torture has migrated to being considered as a viable form of action through a blind eye. Suspect terrorists arguably have basic human rights and should not be put through such psychologically and physically damaging circumstances.

Bloche talks about how advanced interrogation and torture techniques have emerged to adapt to specific situations; and that many people believe that torture doesn’t help anything because people will say anything to get out of such tortures (Bloche 115). The article states that nothing can force someone to tell the truth; however, through harsh methods of abuse, you can instill a sense of hopelessness in the person being interrogated (Bloche

In a study done by the Department of Phycology at the University of Montana, study claims that “people's views of torture are often negative. However,

Premise 3 and 4 has a lot of research you can gather to support it because there is so many scientific research in it. An example is coming from a 6,000-page study of the CIA program that was inflicted on terrorism suspects after 9/11. The study states, which was released in December 2014, “That the agency’s harsh methods failed to glean any intelligence not available through softer tactics” (google.com). Shane O’Mara, a professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin states, “Torture can produce false information by harming those areas of the brain associated with memory” (google.com), therefor torture is an ineffective way of gathering intel. Since torturing involves heavy inflicted pain, this causes the person to be in a state of “do anything to get out of it”. Meaning the victim will give any information valid or invalid just to have them stop, even if it is for just for a few minutes.

One reason torture should not be allowed is that torturing people to get them to admit to something should not be a thing because they will lie to get you to stop. According to New Scientist Website, “IF YOU torture the data long enough,” the saying goes, “it will confess to anything” (Elliott, 2015). When it comes to torturing people as soon

With reference to authors’ arguments against torture, it may be true that legitimizing this system may cause slippage and mistakes to be made. However these mistakes can be prevented to the full extent of the law. There must be conditions that make unauthorized, and over-excessive torture illegal; violators will be prosecuted in the same way police are tried for brutality. In saying this I agree with Eric Posner, a proponent of the legalized torture system, in the sense that torture should be treated like any other form of evil that exists in our laws today (Rumney, O’Boyle,

The United Nations defines torture as any act by which severe physical or mental pain or suffering is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining information or a confession, or punishing a person for an act that he is suspected of having committed. Torture also includes intimidating or coercing a person for any reason based on discrimination of any kind when a person acting in an official capacity inflicts pain or suffering (Convention Against Torture para. 2). Although some people believe that torture is acceptable, in reality it is neither an acceptable nor a reliable method for obtaining information and should not be continued.

In the first place, putting someone through the experience of being tortured can cause them to be left with long-term damage both physically and mentally. These victims are isolated from society and kept prisoners, the kind of torture they are often put through is unbearable. In the article, The Lingering Effects of Torture written by Devin Powell talks about a man by the alias Adeel who was a prisoner for four years, first at the Bagram Theater Internment Facility in Afghanistan and then at Guantanamo Bay. Adeel explains how he was kept isolated in a chilled cell, blasted with loud music which prevented him from falling asleep and being forced to stand motionless in the hot sun for hours. And how even years after being released he still

This research paper talks about the controversy of torture in America. Torture is defined as a punishment of severe and intentional pain, either mentally or physically, inflicted on a person, particularly to receive information from him or her (“Defining Torture”). Starting around 530 A.D., the Romans started using torture as a tactic to get statements from people that they claimed they could not get any other way. For the same reason, the French and Italians adopted using torture around the twelfth-century; however, they began to inflict torture on people because their law system required that they must have a confession from the suspect or witnesses in order to punish the person (Green). America adopted similar practices such as the French and Italians did, but the United States government claims that torture has only been used as a way to keep America safe from

Many of these well documented effects include but are not limited to, mental and physical illness on individuals who were never plagued with such condition, “disruption in their emotional processes”(Corcoran. 3), and “symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.” (Corcoran. 4) Doesn’t that not sound like torture to you? Criminals are sent to prison to be incapacitated and rehabilitated, not to be isolated and tortured. Inmates are given prison or jail sentences, not torture sentences.

Per an inquiry conducted on 143 active- duty, reserve, and retired, human intelligence collectors, 142 of the 143 agreed that the use of torture was not an effective means of gathering valid information (Semel 2). In fact, Hanns Scharff, a revered interrogator, who is the topic of at least one respected book, made it known that he feels that preparation, rather than violence, provides the best success rate of receiving valuable, information (Semel 2). Retired Adm. Dennis C. Blair echoed this, saying that it is not “moral, legal, or effective.” The devastating report also stated that at least twenty-six prisoners were unjustifiably held captive (Scott 2). One case that received national attention was the one of Laid Saidi, who was wrongfully held captive for sixteen months, in which he was subjected to ice “baths” and sixty-six hours of sleep deprivation before it was found that he was misidentified and had no knowledge on the topics he was being questioned about (Scott 3). However, perhaps the most heartbreaking story involves the baseless holding of a mentally challenged man on the premise that two of his family members, who were connected to acts of terrorism upon false statements retrieved by torture, would be pressured to come forward (Scott

In my opinion, torture does not ensure success in fighting terrorism while it inflicts unbearable sufferance. I provide six arguments to demonstrate that torture should not be taken into account at all. They are related to morality, law, effectiveness, and many other subjects. Torture is one of the most tremendous techniques adopted by several countries trying to guarantee national security with a very low rate of achievement.