02-05-2010, 06:52 PM | #11 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,596
|
Quote:
Someone as interested as you in this topic really should watch the video, so you can get the argument from the horse's mouth. I'll help save you some time: his answer to your question starts around the :30 mark in the 2nd video.
__________________
"Have we been commanded not to call a prophet an insular racist? Link?" "And yes, [2010] is a very good year to be a Democrat. Perhaps the best year in decades ..." - Cali Coug "Oh dear, granny, what a long tail our puss has got." - Brigham Young |
|
02-05-2010, 06:53 PM | #12 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,367
|
So if an American is captured by a country or group that is not a signatory of the Geneva Convention, it is ok to waterboard the American? Is that their argument?
|
02-05-2010, 07:03 PM | #13 | ||
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,596
|
Quote:
Re: Geneva. I'll transcribe for you Thiessen's exact quote, since I guess you refuse to watch it: Quote:
__________________
"Have we been commanded not to call a prophet an insular racist? Link?" "And yes, [2010] is a very good year to be a Democrat. Perhaps the best year in decades ..." - Cali Coug "Oh dear, granny, what a long tail our puss has got." - Brigham Young |
||
02-05-2010, 07:09 PM | #14 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,367
|
Oh, because we are an upstanding country, none of us can be waterboarded. But we can waterboard bad people.
Got it. That's pretty sophisticated ethical thinking. |
02-05-2010, 07:13 PM | #15 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,596
|
Quote:
He didn't say "because we are an upstanding country." Rather, he said, "because we follow Geneva." He didn't say "the bad people." He said, "terrorists who don't follow Geneva." It's a very solid argument which has the support of international law. I recognize that upsets you, but distorting the argument does not strengthen your position.
__________________
"Have we been commanded not to call a prophet an insular racist? Link?" "And yes, [2010] is a very good year to be a Democrat. Perhaps the best year in decades ..." - Cali Coug "Oh dear, granny, what a long tail our puss has got." - Brigham Young Last edited by Tex; 02-05-2010 at 07:17 PM. |
|
02-05-2010, 07:18 PM | #16 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,367
|
Party A has signed a document.
Party B has also signed document. Party C has NOT signed document. Party A can torture Party C, but not Party B. Because Party C is not a signatory. However Party C CANNOT torture Party A. Because Party C is not a signatory. Is this the "very solid argument"? |
02-05-2010, 07:29 PM | #17 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,596
|
Quote:
In this case, I would argue not only does Party C not have the right to waterboard, but that they have no rights at all. Maybe you can explain to me: what inherent rights does Osama bin Laden possess right now, and whence does he derive them?
__________________
"Have we been commanded not to call a prophet an insular racist? Link?" "And yes, [2010] is a very good year to be a Democrat. Perhaps the best year in decades ..." - Cali Coug "Oh dear, granny, what a long tail our puss has got." - Brigham Young |
|
02-05-2010, 07:34 PM | #18 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,367
|
So a 14 year old Afghani kid, swept up in the war can be waterboarded by Americans?
Yes, because he has "no rights at all." Because he did not sign the Geneva Convention. He left the signature area "blank". Too bad for him. |
02-05-2010, 07:43 PM | #19 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,596
|
Quote:
But if we're going to deal in ridiculous hypotheticals, I might as well ask: is that Afghani kid caught on the battlefield with an AK-47 in his hand, having killed a few Americans, with no indication he is fighting for any particular nation, and is assessed as having potentially valuable information in stopping a future terrorist attack? And while you're answering that question: please answer my other one about bin Laden's rights.
__________________
"Have we been commanded not to call a prophet an insular racist? Link?" "And yes, [2010] is a very good year to be a Democrat. Perhaps the best year in decades ..." - Cali Coug "Oh dear, granny, what a long tail our puss has got." - Brigham Young |
|
02-05-2010, 07:50 PM | #20 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,367
|
No rights? Is that the argument you want to make?
Can we dissect OBL Dexter-style? So I suppose your answer would be, "While they have no legal rights, and can be summarily executed and tortured, we choose not to do those things, and instead use harsh interrogation, where needed, and military courts for disposition. But we certainly need not hold ourself to this. We are within our rights to do whatever we want." Is this the argument? |
Bookmarks |
|
|