Philosophy
(Q5) Waterboarding is a torture method that the American military has used in obtaining pertinent information from a terrorist. It involves dunking the person into water in a manner that mimics the feeling of them drowning. It is controlled by those in charge to ensure that the individual is not killed, but rather brought to suffer the feeling of drowning. From Krauthammer’s perspective it is an acceptable form of torture because it worked on Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who was involved in the 9/11 attack. Despite the fact that he feels it is a horribly frightening method of torture, he cannot deny that it was helpful in an important case such as the one with KSM, which means, if necessary it should be used again.
(Q6) The “ticking time bomb” is a term for a dangerous event that is set to happen. Basically it is a plan where some horrible event is already in the process of taking place, and it is a matter of time before there is any chance to “defuse the bomb” to prevent a horrible tragedy. Krauthammer feels that the “ticking time bomb” is the type of situation where torture may or could become a reasonable option despite how wrong the act of torture may be. It is the responsibility of the military or person in charge to make sure that everything was done to prevent a tragedy from occurring.
(Q7) Although torture is a terribly immoral thing to do, Krauthammer agrees that it is necessary to use in certain circumstances because it is a matter of choosing the “greater of two evils.” On the one hand the torturer and the victim of the torture may suffer the horrific act of the torture process and save a large number of innocent people from dying a terrible unjust death, or we allow the innocent to die while observing the highly moral act of avoiding the practice of torture. It is a matter of using torture only when absolutely necessary for the greater good.
“Diffusing the Ticking Time Bomb”
(Q4) From a moral point of view, the worst thing about the use or threat of torture is the complete disregard for the human life that one is willing to harm in such a terrible manner. The very nature of causing such pain and discomfort to an individual who possibly does not deserve it is one of the most bothersome aspects of torture is. In addition to the cruelty of the torture is the notion that one could be wicked enough to do this type of thing to another human being seems outrageously immoral.
(Q6) The APT is entirely horrified by the idea of a “terror squad” because it promotes the desensitizing of a group of individuals who are capable of proceeding with such inhuman acts of torture against another person. The concern is that if “terror squads” are created, then we are condoning terrorist’s acts no different than the terrorists themselves by having a group that is specially trained to be heartless and carry out punishment with such cruelty behind it. Basically allowing for a “terror squad” occurs as though it is acceptable to support military soldiers to embrace the idea of delivering such inhuman acts of abuse against one’s enemy. The APT finds the creation of “terror squads” as the equivalent of trained terrorists who are supposed to fight for the “good guys.”
