Torture Should Only Be Used in Emergency Situations

Torture is the act of causing severe physical pain as a form of punishment or as a way to force someone to do or say something” (Merriam Webster). Torture is a very controversial topic in today's’ society. In some ways torture can be looked upon as evil and satanic. On the other hand, torture can be look upon as beneficial and favorable. In United States of America, torturing for your own self pleasure is inhumane and shunned by many Americans, but is torture effective? Depending on the situation it can be. Let us say a very sadistic person tells you that he has your best friend in one of two buildings and in sixty seconds both buildings will collapse. Would torturing this sadistic person be effective in helping obtain information on which building your loved one was in? Torture should only be used on the war on terror, life or death situation and important issues involving our country.

Firstly, Richard Posner wrote in the New Republic in 2002 that "if torture is the only means of obtaining the information necessary to prevent the detonation of a nuclear bomb in Times Square, torture should be used” (Ghosh, par. 4). Effectively, torture should only be used in emergency situations. Bobby Ghosh explains how, Ali Soufan, now an international-security consultant, thinks interrogation techniques that are used by the U.S. military during George W. Bush's’ regime are “Borderline torture and Un-American” (Ghosh, par.4). Torture has been discussed constantly throughout the years ever since 9/11. If the United States government knew about this plan before hand, they could obtain the information on where these tragic events would take place. They could obtain the information by torturing the culprits and by obtaining the information tho...

... middle of paper ...

...nfortunately, some may not break under torture.

In closing, torture is not a 100% effective interrogation strategy in trying to obtain information from suspects. Torturing can have an intense negative psychology appeal. “But it is worth considering whether the use of torture is truly motivated by a desire to gain valuable information, or by a desire to overcome a sense of powerlessness and to restore control, or even by a basic desire of revenge”(Costanzo). Negatively, torture is a very controversial topic and should not be taken lightly. In the future, interrogators should consider other interrogations technique and also include torture. Torture should be used as a last resort in trying to obtain information. Finally, torture can be justified in certain situation that such as the war on terror, life or death situations and important issues involving our country.