On Wed, 06 May 2009 18:32:10 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Wed, 6 May 2009 18:27:57 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:



Here's another example of how issues become causes. Not too many months
ago the main topic of debate regarding water boarding was if it was indeed a
form of torture. To many, that question still remains. However, the
media coverage and hype has produced a general consensus that it *is*
torture. As I type, I am listening to a Harvard law professor stating that
officials in Bush's administration have admitted to "torturing" detainees.
But, don't you see, that's under the newly adopted, post event definition
that water boarding *is* torture. If public opinion (now an assumption)
was otherwise, then Bush and his administration could not be accused of
torture by authorizing water boarding.

See what I mean?

Problem is, arguing about whether water torture is torture is sort of
meaningless, don't you think? I mean, it's called water torture.
Well it was - until the American government started using it.
Then it became waterboarding. I guess some folks are easily confused.
Anybody who lets a name get in the way of truth isn't thinking
clearly.
"A rose is a rose by any other name."
But some folks are susceptible to Newspeak.

Several names have been used inconjunction with this type of
interrogation technique. The Spanish used to call it tortura del agua
during the Inquisition and it has various other names from
"surfboarding" to "showering" to it's more recent contraction from
water board torture to waterboarding. In my experience, it's always
been called water boarding and described as a form of hydropathic
torture. There are even references to it as far back as Third Dynasty
Egypt where it was called "water trial" and the Romans called it
"water truth telling".

The interesting thing is that the technique has always been true in
terms of practice - cloth, upside down, water forced into nasal
passages and the mouth simulating drowning no matter what it was
called.

Not being a pedant, just pointing something out. :)

In the SERE program, it's always been called water boarding.