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Essay on Torture: Absolutely Not

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Human beings, by their very nature, strive for a sense of security. It allows them to operate productively, and lubricates the virtues and high aspirations of society. While safety is certainly a circumstance to be treasured, the vulnerability that pokes its head through the cracks should not be taken for granted. Deviations from the good times allow for the exploration of what we might be willing to do for our own well being. This is made especially clear through the recent American debate on torture. Nations have tortured, both within and without their own citizenry, for thousands of years. The act of systematically inflicting severe harm on a human being for the benefit of others has been met with varying degrees of success. …show more content…

The Geneva Conventions would be rendered meaningless is they relied on the subjectivity of any given person or group of people. Levin, however, argues that even though torture is against the law, it may at some point be “morally mandatory” (681). Just being on the books does not make a law right. He uses the “ticking time bomb” scenario to highlight his case. If an impending strike targeting the lives of hundreds, or thousands, of people could be avoided by sacrificing the life of one, Levin argues that it is morally right to do just that. But John McCain once again counters the fragility of Levin’s argument through both example and reflection in a refusal to treat his enemies the way in which he was treated (700). McCain is living proof of the importance of honor through moral superiority, even over life. Moral standards are only effective when absolute. Just as McCain undermines the ethics of the ticking time bomb scenario, Cathy Young illustrates the ineffectiveness of its application. The given situation “is not only extremely improbable, it’s also one in which torture is most likely to be useless” (693). With an attack on the way, a terrorist would only need to hold off until its commencement. They could also provide false information to pacify their torturers. McCain recalls substituting the names of the men in his flight squadron with the Green Bay Packers offensive line (697). Instead, there are better ways to obtain reliable

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