The House has approved and the Senate is likely to follow suit on the so-called "anti-terror" bill that will allow interrogation "techniques" that, in my opinion, fall under the category of cruel and unusual punishment. As inappropriate as this law is, it is being supported in our vaunted halls of government by our representatives. It is entirely possible that they believe it will help in the imaginary "War On Terror." They are at a definite remove from the situation.
It would be nice to believe that we will have a dearth of interrogators who would be willing to put the bill into practice, but according to a number of studies (most notably, Stanley Milgram's in the 1960s) we won't be wanting for someone --several someones-- who are willing to follow orders, no matter how heinous.
According to the results of his work, no less than 32% of the average public is willing to inflict indescribable pain on another human being at the command of someone in authority. If there are 10 people in your office, 3 of them are potential torturers. Today we'll have the law that gives them the go-ahead. Without protest.
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