Cruciatus reductus ad absurdum

Torture reduced to the absurd. Also known as an apagogical argument, when debating an issue, reducing something to its most extreme is a form of logical reasoning that makes use of the principal of Tertium non datur meaning: There is no third possibility. Basically, a statement is either true, or it is false. It cannot be both.

Some non-absolutists would argue that life is not made up of "true and false", "right and wrong", or "black and white". I am not a non-absolutist. I believe that most, if not all things can be sorted into that which is true and that which is false. Of course this form of logic only works if one concedes that there is in fact an absolute right and an absolute wrong. Now there are pros and cons to both schools of thought and I in no way intend to suggest that my way of thinking is the only way. But I do believe that it is the right way based upon my experiences and views of the world around me, illuminated by the light of my faith. But if it is reasonable to suggest that a thing cannot be both true and false at the same time, then it is also reasonable to conclude that the truth of any matter can be determined by reducing the complexity of the problem to its simplest terms.

So it is on this predication of the belief in an absolute "right and wrong" that I submit to you the following. I want you to test yourself. I want you to explore your concept of what is acceptable and what is not. The subject is torture. It's a terrible word conjuring images of medieval dungeons and all types of dastardly tools wielded by masked executioners or mad scientists. Each of us draws lines in our psyche, if only subconsciously, defining the acceptable field of play. What is Ok? And what is not? There must be a line. It must exist for all but the moral relativist, who is illogical and unreasonable anyway and thus excluded from all consideration in this discussion. But what constitutes "torture"? And is it ever acceptable? If so, when? If not, why? It is easy to juggle one's reasoning when the subject is as broad as that outlined in the preceding questions. One can easily say "NO", it is wrong and barbaric and should never be considered under any circumstances by civilized society. OK. Let us assume for a moment that that is your position. Let us then apply the logic of reducing the subject to it's most absurd extreme, for it is either true or it is false. It is right or it is wrong.

Assume for a moment that I have broken into your house while you slept. I've kidnapped your daughter. Your daughter has a deadly medical condition which requires regular doses of medication. I've hidden her away in an undisclosed and untraceable location and her very life is at stake because without immediate intervention, she will die. Now, assume that I've been captured and indisputable evidence exists that links me to your daughter's disappearance....perhaps photographic....perhaps eyewitness...perhaps DNA. Perhaps all of the above. Perhaps I've confessed but remain unwilling to reveal her whereabouts. Assume it is up to you. What coercive methods would you be willing to inflict to obtain the desperately needed location of your daughter? Think before you answer. This is your child. Your love. Your life. You'd take her place in death without a second thought if only you could. But you can't. And now her very existence hangs in the balance of your preconceived notions of the morality of torture and the sanctity of life. What do you do? Do you forsake your principles to save your child's life? Or do you stand on them in spite of the horrific cost? You are human. Be honest with yourself. For it is not your principles at stake here, it is truth itself.

We are a nation of laws, of rights, of reason. We do not, as a society, condone torturing anyone to obtain any information no matter how valuable. Or do we? The question today is not: "Is it right for our society?" The question today is: "Is it ever right at all?" I have no problem telling you where I stand. I am not afraid of the introspective consequences of discovering that I am human and that while I revere humanity for all of its goodness and charity, I also recognize the inescapable truth that man, despite all of his noble acts of selflessness will always have a tendency to act in favor of his own self preservation. I would inflict any amount of pain upon you if it meant that the information you gave would save my child from certain demise.

This example is extreme. It is meant to be. It is meant only to illustrate that there IS a line. There IS a boundary. There IS a limit to man's tolerance of predation by other men. The question is: "Where is that line?" It is no doubt different for everyone. Personally, I wouldn't require near the extreme example cited above to resort to torture. I recognize the sanctity of innocent life. Why should the life of an innocent stranger be any more sacred than the life of my own child? It must be nasty business to torture someone. I don't believe I could make a living out of it. But I have no doubt about my willingness to engage in it should the outcome be that an innocent person lives to see another day, be it my child or yours.

One can attach whatever stipulations one likes such as "It must be confirmed that this person actually possesses this intelligence." or "It must be time sensitive." or "It must be a last resort." Those stipulations are matters for policy makers to address. This post is not meant to delve that deeply into the subject but rather only to illuminate the fact that there are times when even the most staunch opponent of torture would consider it as a reasonable alternative and if that be the case, that the person must reflect honestly upon his or her moral fabric and make a judgment as to when it is acceptable and how far it should go. It is not an easy subject to consider, but neither should it be an easy subject to avoid. For while this example was extreme, the underlying theme is not so far fetched. Much is at stake in our world today. We face an enemy who sees his own death as a victory. The technology exists to literally exterminate life as we know it and it is conceivable that plans are already underway to bring about such an end to our way of life on this planet. Are our principles really so unswayable that we would just willingly concede such a heavy cost for the sake of adhering to them? Not mine.

Well Written Open Letter to Muslims.

This letter first appeared on the internet back in 2002. It is undetermined if it was truly written by Captain John Maniscalco of American Airlines. According to Snopes.com, FAA registries do, in fact indicate that there is such a person employed as an airline pilot but whether or not he wrote this letter cannot be verified. The true author is not of any particular importance. The fact is that whoever did write it wrote it VERY WELL. It is perhaps the best example of the frustration I have with the lack of Muslim outrage at the acts of what the "Politically Correct" would have you and I believe are "Radical" or "Fanatical extremists". Until I hear such outrage, until I see such things as the author alludes to in this letter, I will refuse to ever prefix the word Islam with the word "Radical" as I do not currently believe there is such a thing. Anyway, though the letter is several years old, I thought it worth resurrecting as the problems it addressed are more evident today than ever before.

"YOU WORRY ME!"
By American Airlines Pilot - Captain John Maniscalco

I've been trying to say this since 9-11, but you worry me. I wish you didn't. I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that your color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy in this country. But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me.

I notice you because I can't help it anymore. People from your homelands, professing to be Muslims, have been attacking and killing my fellow citizens and our friends for more than 20 years now. I don't fully understand their grievances and hate, but I know that nothing can justify the inhumanity of their attacks.

On September 11, nineteen ARAB-MUSLIMS hijacked four jetliners in my country. They cut the throats of women in front of children and brutally stabbed to death others. They took control of those planes and crashed them into buildings killing thousands of proud fathers, loving sons, wise grandparents, elegant daughters, best friends, favorite coaches, fearless public servants, and children's mothers.

The Palestinians Celebrated, the Iraqis were overjoyed as was most of the Arab world. So, I notice you now. I don't want to be worried. I don't want to be consumed by the same rage and hate and prejudice that has destroyed the soul of these terrorists. But, I need your help. As a rational American, trying to protect my country and family in an irrational and unsafe world, I must know how to tell the difference between you, and the Arab/Muslim terrorist.

How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim-Americans and the Arab/Muslim terrorists in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter these same good neighbors and children?

The events of September 11th changed the answer. It is not my responsibility to determine which of you embraces our great country, with ALL of its religions, with ALL of its different citizens, with all of its faults. It is time for every Arab/Muslim in this country to determine it for me.

I want to know, I demand to know, and I have a right to know, whether or not you love America. Do you pledge allegiance to its flag? Do you proudly display it in front of your house, or on your car? Do you pray in your many daily prayers that Allah will bless this nation, that He will protect and prosper it? Or, do you pray that Allah with destroy it in one of your Jihads? Are you thankful for the freedom that only this nation affords? A freedom that was paid for by the blood of hundreds of thousands of patriots who gave their lives for this country? Are you willing to
preserve this freedom by also paying the ultimate sacrifice? Do you love America? If this is your commitment, then I need YOU to start letting ME know about it.

Your Muslim leaders in this nation should be flooding the media at this time with hard facts on your faith, and what hard actions you are taking as a community and as a religion to protect the United States of America. Please, no more benign overtures of regret for the death of the innocent because I worry about who you regard as innocent. No more benign overtures of condemnation for the unprovoked attacks because I worry about what is unprovoked to you I am not interested in any more sympathy. I am only interested in action. What will you do for America - our great
country - at this time of crisis, at this time of war?

I want to see Arab-Muslims waving the AMERICAN flag in the streets. I want to hear you chanting "Allah Bless America." I want to see young Arab/Muslim men enlisting in the military. I want to see a commitment of money, time, and emotion to the victims of this butchering and to this nation as a whole.

The FBI has a list of over 400 people they want to talk to regarding the WTC attack. Many of these people live and socialize right now in Muslim communities. You know them. You know where they are. Hand them over to us, now! But I have seen little even approaching this sort of action. Instead I have seen an already closed and secretive community close even tighter. You have disappeared from the streets. You have posted armed security guards at your facilities. You have threatened
lawsuits. You have screamed for protection from reprisals. The very few Arab/Muslim representatives that HAVE appeared in the media were defensive and equivocating. They seemed more concerned with making sure that the United States proves who was responsible before taking action. They seemed more concerned with protecting their fellow Muslims from violence directed towards them in the United States and abroad than they did with supporting our country and denouncing "leaders" like Khadafi,
Hussein, Farrakhan, and Arafat.

If the true teachings of Islam proclaim tolerance and peace and love for all people, then I want chapter and verse from the Koran and statements from popular Muslim leaders to back it up. What good is it if the teachings in the Koran are good, and pure, and true, when your "leaders" are teaching fanatical interpretations, terrorism, and intolerance? It matters little how good Islam SHOULD BE if huge numbers of the world's Muslims interpret the teachings of Mohammed incorrectly and
adhere to a degenerative form of the religion. A form that has been demonstrated to us over and over again. A form whose structure is built upon a foundation of violence, death, and suicide. A form whose members are recruited from the prisons around the world. A form whose members (some as young as five years old) are seen day after day, week in and week out, year after year, marching in the streets around the world, burning effigies of our presidents, burning the American flag, shooting weapons into the air. A form whose members convert from a peaceful religion, only
to take up arms against the great United States of America, the country of their birth. A form whose rules are so twisted, that their traveling members refuse to show their faces at airport security checkpoints, in the name of Islam.

We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11, or any others for that matter, to take way that which is so precious to us: Our rights under the greatest constitution in the world.

I want to know where every Arab Muslim in this country stands and I think it is my right and the right of every true citizen of this country to demand it. A right paid for by the blood of thousands of my brothers and sisters who died protecting the very constitution that is protecting you and your family. I am pleading with you to let me know. I want you here as my brother, my neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American.

But there can be no gray areas or ambivalence regarding your allegiance and it is up to YOU, to show ME, where YOU stand. Until then, "YOU WORRY ME!"

Pay no attention to that warhead behind the curtain! We're just trying to make electricity! Mmmm Hmmmm. Yeah right.

I'm bothered by this. Retired General John Abizaid seems to have a factually bankrupt sense of optimism about the nuclear intentions of Iran.

""Iran is not a suicide nation," he said. "I mean, they may have some people in charge that don't appear to be rational, but I doubt that the Iranians intend to attack us with a nuclear weapon."

So while agreeing that they are not rational, Gen Abizaid would have us believe that they are also not a threat! Pardon my skepticism, General but I just ain't buying what you're selling. I don't want nuclear weapons in the hands of a regime that doesn't " appear to be rational". I don't want them even aspiring to obtain such a weapon. The fact is, it doesn't matter what the Iranians want. It matters what the leaders of the Iranian government want. Iran hasn't had a "rational" regime since the Shah, Reza Pahlavi. Any optimism that they will somehow develop a rational diplomatic relationship with the west is severely misplaced. Even if a moderate President is ever elected, there is still the matter of the Supreme leader Ayatollah, a Shi'a cleric. I'd sooner put my money on an abduction by a UFO.

The real nail in the coffin is that Iran has made legitimate, specific threats against the United States and, more importantly I believe, against Israel. If Israel is attacked by Iran, (a more likely scenario than a state sponsored attack on the US) we are treaty bound to come to their aid. The end result is the same....WAR. When a rogue nation makes such specific threats as "wiping Israel off the map", prudence would dictate that one is forced to act preemptively in the event that technology to develop a weapon capable of doing so is obtained. Iran will force our hand. We will back down and never have any leverage in the region again, or we will act swiftly and decisively. You don't wave a gun around without the expectation of being shot. Likewise you don't wave nuclear technology around and make threats against the United States or her allies without the expectation of being crippled if not exterminated. Iran has not offered anything but extreme language for us to use as an interpretation of their intents. They have refused to moderate their stance despite repeated efforts to convince them to do so. If we wait to see what will happen, we cross a line....a point of no return. Once they have the capability to create such a weapon, it will be too late to minimize our cost of disarming them.

Another significant consideration is, "Who will they sell such a weapon to?" It doesn't have to be an Iranian agent that carries a nuclear device into the heart of America....just the highest bidder. All it takes is one warhead. One would have no reason to believe that Iran would refuse to sell a warhead to a suicidal enemy of the United States or Israel and then, after millions are dead, hold up their hands and shrug their shoulders as if to suggest they had nothing to do with it. Perhaps they would even offer their "official" condolences in an effort to separate themselves from the act. It's a can of worms....no....it's Pandora's Box. And we simply cannot allow it to be opened, even if it means significant collateral damage to the population or infrastructure of Iran. I would go so far as to suggest that it would be worth risking a WWIII, so long as said war is "conventional". Either way, The United States cannot bet the lives of its citizens on the word of an irrational regime.

While we sleep...

Still think this can't happen here? That's what the French thought, and the Swedes, and the Belgians. Islam is rapidly spreading to free societies everywhere. (I don't prefix "Islam" with "radical" because I believe there is no such thing as "Radical" Islam. There is only "True" Islam and then the watered down version of the non-devout.) They are taking over Europe one community at a time. Small towns and villages are not exempt either. In what amounts to a huge civil uprising, the police in these communities have little influence and soon wield no power at all over the hoards of Muslims. They ignore the law of the land, adhering only to Islam and enforcing their own interpretations of Islamic law.

They aren't coming here.....THEY ARE HERE! How far will you bend in the name of tolerance toward Islam? What will you give up? Your right to speak freely? Your right to dress as you want? Your right to worship as you please? Your daughter's virginity to a pack of ravenous Muslim teens? ........YOUR HEAD? The time for you to decide is NOW.

Mourn....with your head held high.

June 6th, December 7th, April 19th, September 11th. These dates will always be remembered in American history, and honored. Hallowed dates...each marking the anniversary of a terrible day where many lives were lost and many more were changed forever. As with the others, September 11th has proven to be remembered as much for pride as for pain. For it is at these times that Americans never fail to prove their worth. Our values are different day to day but when it matters most, they are noble and true and it is our differences that prove the easiest obstacles to overcome when it is our country, our safety, and our very livelihoods at stake.

Make no mistake, despite the spectral differences in our cultural, religious, ethnic or socio-economic backgrounds, the one thing we always agree on when it matters most is that we are a country whose sovereignty is worth defending more than any nation on earth. As I drove around today and saw the sea of Stars and Stripes at half staff, it was obvious that September 11th will always be a time for mourning. But it will also be a time for pride, a time when we remember our heroes...ordinary men and women who became extraordinary in the face a tragedy unequaled in our history.

And so it is and will always be, that our most terrible day gives way to our finest hour. These hours that make our life of liberty worth living, these hours that prove that we are worthy of the freedom we have so fervently bled and died for, have always come at a high price. But that price has never been so costly as to dissuade us from our noble endeavor, our pursuit of happiness....our right to be free. So on this day, perhaps a little more than others... with a tear in my eye and swollen chest I am proud to be an American.

Peace...but at what cost? An answer from an unlikely source.

Peace. In reality, it's what we all strive for is it not? Peace is the end result to all noble endeavors. But what of peace? And at what cost must it be achieved? Nothing in this world comes without sacrifice. Nothing is gained where nothing is forfeited. So how then can the pacifist ever truly hope for peace? Is peace under tyranny, even peace at all?

There are those would give "terrorists" equal footing, equal say and equal consideration...equality at the negotiation table. They believe that a terrorist act is merely a legitimate lashing out against a greater evil and that one must consider their motives, search for their plight and "feel" their downtroddeness in order to eliminate it's cause (which is all to often, American economic influence and foreign policy). Hmmm, so sitting at a negotiation table is the proper response to someone flying hijacked airliners into buildings full of your civilians? That's what they believe.

Sound ridiculous? Well, make no mistake, these people are numerous and they are powerful. And they have their sights set not on you and I, but on yours and mine....our children, that is. They run rampant in our colleges and universities and they're tenured! Ignoring any historical evidence to the contrary, they vehemently believe in the impossible, that offering appeasements and concessions to those who would murder innocent civilians to achieve a political end can result in peace. That's bad enough, but worse still, is their power and influence over our children and young adults. Having nearly unfettered access to them at ages when they are most credulous, they indoctrinate thousands every day. The "truth" it seems, is flexible. Perhaps that is debatable but it is certainly true of history. It is morphed and molded and delivered with the political slant of the professor who's charged with teaching it.

Nowhere is this process of misinformation and indoctrination more true than in the ever-popular "Peace Studies" offered and in fact, mandated by many of this country's higher educational institutions. Churning out little socialist "global citizens" by the hundreds they turn our youngest and most impressionable citizens into enemies of everything our country and western civilization stands for. I recently read an outstanding article at The City Journal entitled "The Peace Racket". If you want to understand this movement, read this article. Read it all. Its content was spot on, but I was puzzled by it's source. ‘Twas an unlikely source, hence the title of this post. The author, Bruce Bawer, is a gay literary critic and writer who touts himself as a "liberal democrat" in his book entitled "Place At the Table", while promoting centrist politics. He also lobbed a few bombs at Christianity and Capitalism in his book "Stealing Jesus". I'm often leery of self professed Centrists. I don't trust them. They flip-flop and switch sides way to often, as seems to be the case here. Well, everyone is bound to hit the mark every now and again and Mr. Bawer certainly did that. Despite being such an unlikely candidate to expose these things, his article is without a doubt enlightening.

War is indeed terrible but it is a part of life and like peace, it has its place and it has its time. War should be avoided but not at all costs. Peace should be pursued, but not at all costs. Pacifists would have you and I believe that Peace is more important than anything, including freedom. Their "turn the other cheek" policy would hold that it is better to give in to a dictator or tyrant and thereby avoid war than for war itself to set one free. History has proven the opposite....at least history as it is written today. People long to be free. They do not naturally accept the position of living at the pleasure of another. If peace is worth longing for and living for, then it is certainly worth fighting for and dying for. One might intelligently argue that the road to peace is, in fact....war. For, historically speaking, no civilization has ever enjoyed the former without suffering the latter. Peace has always been a temporary state of existence. The same is true of war. I do not condone war, I do not wish for it, but I realize that it is the price of peace. It always has been. Unfortunately, so too is it the price of freedom and, here in America, we want both. What do you think might be the price of that?

Guard your children. Teach them reason. Inform them to be suspicious of anyone who's teachings are not open to discussion or debate. Teach them the difference between education and indoctrination. Be the driving influence in their lives while they are impressionable, because if not you....then who?

It's no "MAGNUM OPUS"....but it ain't that bad either!

So THIS is what all the fuss was about? You gotta be kidding me! This is the Opus Cartoon that might have ...(here's that word again)..."offended" some Muslims. Well, imagine that....Muslim's offended! Berkely Breathed is an Athiest and has also been known to fry up some Christians in his cartoons from time to time. The Washington Post, of course, has never had a moment's pause about "offending" those Christians whenever a cartoon lends itself to do so but, amazingly enough, their "testicular fortitude" fails them when it comes time to be "fair" and "balanced". Along with some 25 other newspapers, they chose not to carry this particular strip.

Well, let it never be said that I didn't have the balls to "offend" a few Muslims because I was afraid of getting bombed. This cartoon isn't that bad. But like many of Berkeley Breathed's cartoons, it isn't all that good either...(sigh). Whatever. Here it is.

(shamelessly lifted from Eugene Volokh)