Is it ever justified to use extreme measures on individuals to protect the security of the public?
“Torture is the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something” – The Oxford Dictionary.
Torture is a word which doesn’t crop up too often, but when it does, I’m sure everyone will have their views firmly in place. The act of torturing, I’m pretty sure has been prevalent ever since time began: enforced more so with the Medieval era or the arrival of Colonialism and Imperialism. It once was the ‘norm’ to brutalise an entire population or race –
can you imagine?!
In today’s world, we rarely see acts of torture in a realistic context. Sure, we have all heard about it on the news, but it doesn’t happen close to home, and if you think like me, I kind of disregard it. I know, I know; It’s terrible, but I am blinkered when it comes to these sorts of things. Capital punishment was abolished in the UK in 1965, with the death penalty being abolished under the human rights act in 1998 (albeit had not been applied since). In 2004, it was prohibited by the European Convention on human rights to restore the death penalty – for as long as the UK was part of the convention.
But, do you think that it is ever justified to use extreme measures on individuals to protect the security of the public?
In a recent Guardian article, it has been revealed that it is possible that the United Nations may be imposing torture procedures to extract information and evidence on Al-Qaida suspects. It is estimated that over three hundred people worldwide are on the UN’s sanctions list in connection with the Taliban and Al-Qaida. The ethical issue arose when the UN’s special rapporteur for counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson QC, questioned the honesty of the agencies method of acquiring its intelligence.
Read the full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/nov/11/un-torture-evidence-terror-suspects
How can anybody condone torture? It makes me feel sick to my stomach that the United Nations is potentially torturing human beings! I find it ironic that the UN could be involved in such a scandal when it stands for the maintenance of international peace and promotes the cooperation of solving issues involving international economic, social and humanitarian problems. The UN comittees ombudsman, Kimberley Prost, released a statement stating that she was aware of claims being made regarding torture and feels it is an issue which needs to be addressed. If this is the case, we need to ask why?!
Do you think that the UN are using torture tactics as a way to protect the public or are they purely flouting their integrity?
I Completely understand and agree that if someone does pose a threat to society, then they should be apprehended immediately, but if that means torturing others to find out their whereabouts, I’m a little unsettled by that. However, I can’t think of any other methods of humanely extracting information. I’m at a loss here! How can anybody even trust the validity of what someone says, if they are being tortured, as this can be a highly unreliable avenue to ascertain evidence.
How do you feel about the use of torture? Is the life of an individual being tortured justifiable for the greater security of the public?
Let’ s start the debate!
Josh
Everything Ethics 
This is such an interesting topic that not many people dwell upon now days. I think when people think of the word ‘torture’ they link it back to past history where perhaps it was the norm for higher ranked society to torture peasants, but in this modern day and age where the human rights act is so cherished, it is daunting to think that some governments see it fit to use torture as a justifiable way to protect the public? Surely there are other means! It’s 2012 not 1689!
Thank you for your thoughts! Yes, torture seems to be a somewhat forgotten word, what other means do you think could be imposed – that are humane & ethical? There’s also the issue of being wrongfully accused and as mentioned in the post regarding if the information is actually trustworthy… Josh
A well written and interesting blog post! Torture is inhuman and no human should have to go through that. I think that the UN feels as though they can get away with murder with the amount of authority they hold! It is just not right! Can bribery not be used as a substitue for torture? hmmm…
Thanks for your comment. I completely agree that the UN probably do feel that they have far more clout with their authority and are a greater power so can do what they want! Bribery could be a another way & I’m sure it is being used also alongside torture. But is bribery ethical? Would you be okay with someone bribing you? Josh
I love the interaction of this, I’m still questioning it myself! I feel the same as you-confused, and not willing to question but is that because i don’t want to know the answer?
I like how you have layed this out as it feels that I need to respond and answer your questions.
Torture is a horrible thing and like you said it has been around since time began but has become less and less spoken about as time has gone on. Torture has many different variables, from physical and psychological torture to bribery and blackmailing to even now a days simply taking away someones phone or internet or TV or something people rely on in their everyday life for a period of time and they will describe it as “torture”.
I’m like you, real torture is not close to home, it’s not something that is spoken about so I don’t really think about it and do disregard it. If I’m honest if I think of torture the first things that pop into my mind are film franchises like ‘Hostel’ and ‘Saw’ which is just seen as in the movies, you never really think that something like that can be real! How could you imagine someone actually doing that kind of stuff to another human being?! I sure as hell couldn’t it’s sick and I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night or live a normal life knowing what I had done to others. But the reality is stuff like this does happen.
Where there is power there will always be torture, but as they have power they also have the means to keep it secret and hidden. For stuff like Al-Qaeda and the sake of our safety and security, I really do not know how I feel about torture, on the one hand it could be keeping me and billions of other people safe but on the other hand it is wrong and I wouldn’t want to be tortured and I wouldn’t want anyone I cared about to have to go through that either. But then also on the other side, by them keeping them captive and torturing them isn’t that more likely to provoke the likes of Al-Qaeda to attack and keep their secrets safe?
It is a very difficult topic…..really, you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t…..
Thank you for your comment. I take on board your point about torture in the media and pop culture: You’ve hinted at torture becoming ‘glamourised’ in films and TV shows, maybe this is why we have become numb to anything cloesly related? I think it’s good that we are made aware of what goes on in the world and this only highlights the imbalance of ethics and whats ‘right’ and whats ‘wrong’ on a global scale. Power is definitely an influence here, and I agree with the more power, comes more brutality, there’s always a degree of uncertainty when it comes to the likes of Al-Qaeda and there’s also a stigma of brutality attached to this group.
I feel that with a subject as controversial as this it results in situation, like highlighted in this blog if there is great threat to a large amount of people then the torture of one person may be necessary as a result to the greater good. However, what if the person they are torturing is a person that is actually telling the truth, and has no idea to their whereabouts? That person is then forced to suffer without a choice. With the amount of money that the government invest, you would think by now that they would be able to find other ways of finding such information? Interesting blog really gets you thinking.
Thank you for your opinion. It may be down to situation, you’re absolutely right, however, then the phrase of ‘one rule for one, one rule for another’ comes into mind. How do you then determine who ‘deserves’ the torture/punishment? Josh
nothing justifies torturing a human being