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CIA report details 'brutal' post-9/11 interrogations (bbc.co.uk)
18 points by callum85 on Dec 9, 2014 | hide | past | favorite | 6 comments



why quote brutal? This is the literal definition of brutal.


In this case, they're quoting the wording in the released report.


Wonder how long until this is flagkilled.

It wouldn't do well to think too hard about what surveillance software and social graph analysis does when sold to thugs, even if (as in, say, Palantir) it's written by smart people.

Look at it this way: if it contributed to these tortures, it's evil, and if it didn't, it's useless.


Reading the report, a power drill was used in a threat against one of the detainees. By that logic, I suppose Craftsman is on the hook too?

There are only two outcomes to that logic, one insane and one not. The insane one implies turtles all the way down, in that any tool, misused, is somehow the fault of the makers of the tool. Once you've gone there, where do you stop?

The not-insane view is that there is no such thing as an evil tool, only evil uses.


did i just see a false dichotomy rebutted by another false dichotomy?


So what's the third option you think I'm missing?




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