Torture Plagiarism

News that the CIA based its "enhanced" interrogation techniques on torture inflicted on our servicemen by the Chinese during the Korean War brings dishonor and shame to our nation. It's one thing to use Chinese toys to get our children's lead-paint intake up to FDA standards but should we really steal our precious national torture resources from China? Is that where waterboarding comes from? No wonder it's horrible, it's probably full of MSG.

Why do we doubt our ability to torture in a uniquely American way? Hell, New Hampshire already threatens its own citizens to live free or die. Since everyone there appears to be living freely, we can assume the rest have been tortured and dumped in the Merrimack.

But our government clearly believes we're facing a Torture Gap, our methods now presumably more than 40 years behind the Chinese. And who knows what modern techniques are being used by cutting-edge (you should excuse the expression) torturers such as our allies Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Iraq? We send our Gitmo guys there, shouldn't they at least send us photos?

What this requires is nothing less than a national mobilization along the lines of the Manhattan Project, or the switch from LP to CD, backed by a generational commitment to our children that they'll spend the critical hours of their schooldays learning how to torture other children. They already do that? Okay, fine, now they need to be tested on it.

I am sick and tired of other nations doing the things we Americans do first before we do them first. To make sure that never happens again, we must immediately begin to explore new frontiers of torture -- heretofore undiscovered orifices, imaginative combinations of wire, prongs and electricity -- so that future generations can "own" their torture techniques.

I dream of the day when Americans look at the torture being inflicted in their name and see a big sign proudly stamped "MADE IN AMERICA".

Comments

[Rog49Thomas]

Brother David, have a little of national pride and confidence.

Not every product is an import.

The School of the Americas has been in operation since 1946 - turning out generations of nun-murderers, torturers, pogrom committers, and just plain thugs.

[David Misch - Huffpost Blogger]

Just another example of the right hand not knowing who the left hand is attaching genital electrodes to.

[Rog49Thomas]

From the length of time the SOTA (now WHISC) has been in business I think both the "left" and "right" in our government and Congress have known precisely what's been going on.

And some voices like those of Rep Kennedy have repeatedly tried to close it.

[GKJames]

Hell, everything else is coming from China these days; why not this?

[Ellis Weiner - Huffpost Blogger]

"a generational commitment to our children that they'll spend the critical hours of their schooldays learning how to torture other children. They already do that? Okay, fine, now they need to be tested on it."

Dream on, David. The sad truth is that as soon as tests are implemented, every child from sea to shining sea will simply "torture to the test." And that spells the death (by torture) of each child's precious love of discovery and learning (of, and to, torture). Maybe just keep the tests pass/fail.

[David Misch - Huffpost Blogger]

Or maybe pass/die.

[Rog49Thomas]

There's always a Kaplan course for those who need extra help.

No Child Left Behinid.

[research]

Torture is terrorism.

not information gathering.

[Galloviejo]

Along those same lines, al-Usa's current contribution affecting the export area of their concept of free trade, enhanced interrogation, is detailed here today -

http://tinyurl.com/5dcnyc

US Private Contractor Leads Torture Training in Mexico

Allen McDonald, El Galloviejo®

[Rog49Thomas]

Under globalization, the theory is that as the USA loses its manufacturing jobs, workers will move up the skills ladder to more knowledge based work in the services sector.

This is proof that globalization works.

And given the state of the world this is a service with tremendous potential - both domestically but even more importantly internationally.

It could turn around our balance of payments problem.

[David Misch - Huffpost Blogger]

Yes, but what bothers me is the hypocrisy: we complain about China not enforcing intellectual copyright then we go right ahead and steal their torture. They should at least get residuals.

[Chillinout]

A funny article about a very dark period in American history. Thanks for the laugh.

[David Misch - Huffpost Blogger]

I'm still sorta new to this dang-nabbed blogging thing and accidentally deleted a comment, the gist of which was that the really incredible thing about this story is that the CIA's stolen torture techniques were originally developed to make prisoners confess to FALSE crimes.

[Rog49Thomas]

Perfectly logical.

Illusional crimes for an illusional war.