Only a little bit of torture!

The BBC World Service survey published today shows that, hearteningly, two thirds of the world's population reject the use of torture as an acceptable instrument of the state even when based on the 'torture one to save hundreds' theory.

This still leaves approximately one third who are in favour of 'some limited amount of torture when the situation demands it'.

As a member of Amnesty and a human rights activist this latter argument always reminds me of a Monty Python sketch, grimly unfunny though the argument is.

"'Ere, you in favour of torturing people then?"

"Er no, not really - well at least not much - and only when they ask for it!"

"NOT MUCH? 'Ow much is not much then? Beatin' their kidneys with a stick?"

"Ooooh no that sounds awful - not as much as that!"

"Ticklin' em under the ribs until they kick their legs in the air?"

"Well a bit more than that!"

"Pulling their finger nails out?"

"Well maybe just on one hand..."

I always feel that arguments about favouring a 'little bit of torture' are like claims that a woman is a little bit pregnant. You either are prepared to endorse torture or you are not!

It is a maybe understandable cop out by those who believe torture works but don't want to be branded as heartless sadists but I believe, regardless of what some perceive as the effectiveness of torture it has to be absolutely and firmly rejected by everybody as a means of interrogation and acquiring information.






I don't believe it is something we should be half hearted about. Torture is an absolute and total violation of human rights and it is no more of an argument, in my view, to justify it by arguing that the victim may well be more violent than his torturers. On that tit for tat basis we would still be killing murderers, painfully castrating child rapists and so on. Unless we absolutely and unequivocally condemn torture as unacceptable and a crime against humanity, what do we have left for those who favour 'a little bit of torture'? Its OK to torture terrorist suspects say some...OK what about torturing little children to give away the hiding place of their parents? Some nations would condone that. It has to stop.





The argument for torture of course is expediency. It helps to get information quicker. Well even if that is true I believe it is NOT acceptable for any state machinery anywhere in the world to include torturing of suspects in its repertoire and we should be doing everything in our power to convince those who still support it that they are misguided and wrong. When we dehumanise others we dehumanise ourselves. The recent shameful events at Abu Ghraib should have reinforced that.