Would you torture?

[Teysa]

You're right. I was thinking more along the lines of physical torture. In someways, I think psychological torture would be more effective because it lasts long after the wounds from physical torture have healed. I could be completely wrong on this, but I think the subject would be more likely to tell the truth to keep the hurt from starting than to make the hurt stop.

[Nyoibo]

The human mind is an interesting thing, it cannot remember pain, by that I mean the physical sensation of pain, you can remember that something hurt, but the mind cannot recall the pain. Fear is another matter though, that can be brought up by the brain, psychological trauma stays around for a lot longer than physical trauma does.

[Hyena Dandy]

If torture would help, yes, I would. But I don't think its as effective as people seem to believe.

Its an outdated method of extracting information.

[DesignFox]

I don't believe in torturing people. It just isn't right.

That's not to say I know how I would react or that I necessarily could control my actions if I was angered beyond reason. I'm not saying I know how I'd act if say, I was being attacked, because I'd definitely defend myself and THAT might not be pretty...

But, I can't picture myself torturing someone. The thought just makes my skin crawl.

[Dreamstalker]

Ditto. I'm just not that "type" of person (just because I can be manipulative doesn't mean I like to). That's not to say I can predict what I'd do in a situation like that; I've been known to defend my "pack" quite viciously if one is threatened.

I'd be more prone to psychological torture if I was pushed to that point; the threat of something seems more effective. Like Hyena said, IF it was as effective as necessary (and if I was fairly certain the target wouldn't lie).

People can be capable of a lot if it's their life or a loved one's on the line.

[Boozy]

Who knows what we are all capable of in certain situations? I'm inclined to say that I wouldn't torture someone, but if my husband were missing and his life were in danger -- I'd be out of my mind. It's not a stretch to imagine doing something irrational and out of character for me.

[Nyoibo]

So I was watching Taken the other day and thought about this, we've been talking about torturing someone who had information to get it out of them, but theres a scene in taken where he shoots the french guys wife and threatens to kill her, not the guy if he doesn't talk, now here's the question. Would you torture or harm an innocent person to make someone else talk?

[Flyndaran]

Let me say this once, "Torture does not work!" All it works for is to make the person tell you what he thinks you want to hear, not the truth.
Successful interrogation is not that simple. It requires professionals not some moron off the street or congress.

I'm not even going near the fact that intentionally causing pain to another human being is considered evil by just about every single religion and code of ethics.