We Are America, We Do Not F**king Torture!!

In light of the current situation regarding the information recently revealed detailing America’s use of waterboarding and other “advanced interrogation techniques” against detained enemy combatants and terror suspects, as well as our discussion in class on the topic and the use of torture in war in general, I was particularly struck by two interviews I saw recently on this topic.

The first, interestingly enough, is an interview by Bill O’Reilly of Cato Institute legal analyst David Rittgers — a former Army Captain. In the interview, it is clear that O’Reilly has his own agenda. As we discussed in class, the key to winning an argument is to have control over what the questions are, and thus, as O’Reilly is conducting the interview, he seeks to prove his argument, namely, that he supports the use of torture under the circumstances it was conducted, by framing the “right” questions. Nevertheless, Rittgers, who opposed the use of torture in this situation, is able to firmly stand his ground on the issue, even pointing out the ridiculousness of the false dichotomy O’Reilly creates (comparing it to the show “24”).

The second video clip in saw is also quite notable and definitely worth watching. The clip is from an interview conducted by Shepard Smith, anchor of Fox News (which, interestingly enough, has been often accused of a right-wing bias) of Fox contributor Judith Miller (of CIA leak infamy) and Cliff May, President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, as Smith describes: “a conservative leaning think-tank.” In the interview, Smith also clearly has his own opinion on the matter, namely that torture should not be carried out by America, regardless of the circumstances, a stance Miller agrees with; while May struggles to defend his belief that these interrogation techniques fell short of the definition of torture and that even so, “saved American lives.”



This interview is full of phenomenal points. In my opinion, however, Cliff May’s arguments are entirely ungrounded. His first claim, that these “coercive techniques” fell short of torture I find completely false, especially in light of the recently revealed evidence that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003 and Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in August 2002, and the fact that waterboarding in classified as torture by practically the entire world, including every human right's organization, nearly all of our allies, and even the former Assistant Attorney General, Daniel Levin, who allowed himself to be waterboarded. As one commenter on the clip stated, waterboarding is not, and has never been, a method of obtaining information. It is a method of causing pain and suffering to an individual, either for revenge or sadistic purposes. May’s second argument that such techniques prevented another terrorist attack and saved American lives is also baseless, just as previously described by former army Captain David Rittgers in the previous clip.

However, what I believe is most notable about this exchange is Shepard Smith’s stance. I strongly agree with what he says": I doesn’t matter what the circumstances were, America should never torture, ever. I nearly exploded when I heard his reference to a “shining city on a hill.”

"They better not do it," he said. "If we are going to be Ronald Reagan's Shining City on the Hill, we don't get to torture. We don't do it."

And he’s right. The fact that we’re combating terrorists is not an excuse; as stated in the interview, Israel has outlawed waterboarding because it is defined as torture, and believe me, Israel has a much greater problem with terrorism than we do. On FoxNews.com's online show The Strategy Room Smith later reiterated his passionate opposition to torture. "We are America!" he shouted, slamming his hand on the table. "I don't give a rat's ass if it helps. We are AMERICA! We do not f**king torture!!" And I must say I whole-heartedly agree with him. Torture is a crime, and crime is conducted by criminals. If America chooses this path, it has no right to lead the free world.