Should torture be performed by professionals or amateurs?

[loinburger]

In the Polanski thread Space05us expressed his wish that a convict be beaten and raped by other convicts. I disagree - torture should be conducted by professionals, not by amateurs (and especially not by other convicts). Should we reward, say, a murderer with the pleasure of beating, say, a child rapist? Of course not, prison isn't supposed to be fun and games for the murderers who get to do the beating and raping, and so the beating and raping should instead be conducted by trained assailants and rapists who are paid for an honest day's work, and if these professionals happen to enjoy the beating and raping then who are we to begrudge them the joy of a job well done? (I enjoy my job as a programmer, and I'd hate for some anti-programming sissy to insist that I not be allowed to enjoy my work; likewise, anti-torture morons have no right to insist that the professional torturers not enjoy their jobs.) Consider also that the professional torturers can be relied upon to more precisely mete out punishment - say, maybe a child rapist has both kneecaps broken from a beating, while child pornographer only has one kneecap broken. The professionals can be relied on to use condoms when they rape the convicts so as to help stem the transmission of STDs (or not, if it is deemed appropriate that a prisoner be given HIV or whatever have you).

So what say you: should torture be conducted in a professional or (as Space05us would have it) in a slipshod manner? No poll, as the answers will likely be nuanced (e.g. "sodomites should be beaten to death by amateurs but murderers should be raped to death by professionals" or whatever have you).

[Drake Tungsten]

Professionals. Torturing prisoners is what prison guards are for.

[bumfister]

Lets keep it democratic and let everyone torture.

[Wezil]

It depends on whether the torture is to be done publicly or not. If so it should be left to the professionals but for small gatherings behind closed doors I have no problem with having amateurs hone their skills.

[SlowwHand]

It has to be amateur at some point. People don't start anything as professionals.

[Imran Siddiqui]

There can be torture schools

PhD in waterboarding

[Seeker]

I object to your ignorance of hoary Apolyton Tradition.

It should be referred to as a Polanski Threadi.

[SlowwHand]

There can be torture schools

PhD in waterboarding

As is anything else, theory doesn't equal application.

[Zkribbler]

Remember, torture is against the law in all civilized countries.
It is counterproductive.
It degrades both the victim, the perpetrator, and society as a whole

Now, carry on with your dumb-ass conversation.

[loinburger]

Remember, torture is against the law in all civilized countries.
It is counterproductive.
It degrades both the victim, the perpetrator, and society as a whole

Now, carry on with your dumb-ass conversation.

Liberals

[Imran Siddiqui]

As is anything else, theory doesn't equal application.

So, torture residencies? Go to Egypt for advanced work in the field? Get some "hands on" experience working under someone skilled in the art?

[Zkribbler]

Liberals

As Mario Cuomo once said:

It's an old story. It's as old as our history. The difference between Democrats and Republicans has always been measured in courage and confidence. The Republicans -- The Republicans believe that the wagon train will not make it to the frontier unless some of the old, some of the young, some of the weak are left behind by the side of the trail. "The strong" -- "The strong," they tell us, "will inherit the land."

We Democrats believe in something else. We democrats believe that we can make it all the way with the whole family intact, and we have more than once. Ever since Franklin Roosevelt lifted himself from his wheelchair to lift this nation from its knees -- wagon train after wagon train -- to new frontiers of education, housing, peace; the whole family aboard, constantly reaching out to extend and enlarge that family; lifting them up into the wagon on the way; blacks and Hispanics, and people of every ethnic group, and native Americans -- all those struggling to build their families and claim some small share of America. For nearly 50 years we carried them all to new levels of comfort, and security, and dignity, even affluence.

[Drake Tungsten]

We Democrats believe in something else. We democrats believe that we can make it all the way with the whole family intact... except for all those unborn children we've murdered over the years, of course.

Fixed.

[Az]

Getting through the native american genocide... together!.

[SlowwHand]

So, torture residencies? Go to Egypt for advanced work in the field? Get some "hands on" experience working under someone skilled in the art?

No, no, no. Follow along, Imran. As with any trade, there's a progression.
Apprentice. Journeyman. Master.