Statecraft Informer

Assuming a little bit of torture might provide information, which could save innocent lives, it looks as if about one third of people around the world say okey-dokey.

True, nearly 60%, on average say “N-O� to torturing prisoners under any circumstances, isn’t it interesting how many people don’t seem to mind? I mean, take the extrapolated numbers created by the poll, and turn them into human beings, and you’ve got about 1.8 billion folks worldwide who say, “Break out the bamboo shoots and water boards!�

Guess it’s no surprise, what with Congress and the President agreeing to adulterate the Geneva Convention, that according to the BBC survey, the U.S. population comes in 7 points higher in favor of some torture.

As far as I know, there isn’t a large, or small, body of evidence, which suggests torture is an effective method of garnering accurate or reliable information from prisoners. In fact, the opposite appears to be more likely. Bad or misleading intelligence may result from torture, and rather than saving lives, may cost them.

Even if that weren’t the case, and torture worked sometimes, do 36% of Americans really want to abandon this country’s long held, and dare I say, Christian, belief that we do not support the mistreatment of any human being for whatever reason?

The poll below indicates the U.S. is certainly not alone in its relative tolerance, Eight other countries surveyed revealed an even greater willingness to use some torture if doing so might save innocent lives. In some, a long and/or recent history of human rights protection has not been a hallmark. The most tolerant of some torture, Israel, as a people, have been under the gun for millennia. Number two, Iraq, which was also the least equivocal country, hasn’t been free of internal torture for generations.

I just wonder about the U.S. Notwithstanding our own past, and occasional civil rights shortcomings, I think our intention as a nation, and a people, is to uphold and sanctify human rights and dignity. Do we believe these things only when it’s easy? Are our ideals only fair weather friends to be discarded when our skies grow darker?

The most baffling result of the survey to me is that of India. It is the only nation polled where the majority favored some torture. In addition, a striking 45% either didn’t know, or indicated being “against all torture,� or felt “some degree permissible,� did not coincide with their beliefs. That represents almost half a billion people, who in effect, had no opinion on torturing prisoners.

I’d also be interesting in finding out why Italy, France, Australia and Canada, which topped the list against all torture, polled so highly.

One last question for the universe: Are countries whose people tend to favor the use of some torture of prisoners safer than those which don’t?

The question:
Most countries have agreed to rules prohibiting torturing prisoners. Which position is closer to yours?
Terrorists pose such an extreme threat that governments should now be allowed to use some degree of torture if it may gain information that saves innocent lives.
Clear rules against torture should be maintained because any use of torture is immoral and will weaken international human rights.

The survey was carried out for the BBC World Service by polling firm Globescan and the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA).

Country•Against All Torture•Some Degree Permissible•Neither/Don’t Know

Australia
…………………75%……………………22%……………………..3%
Brazil
…………………61%……………………32%……………………..8%
Canada
…………………74%………………….. 22%……………………..4%
Chile
…………………62%……………………22%…………………….16%
China
…………………49%……………………37%…………………….13%
Egypt
…………………65%……………………25%………………………9%
France
…………………75%……………………19%………………………6%
Germany
…………………71%……………………21%………………………7%
Gt Britain
…………………72%……………………24%………………………4%
India
…………………23%……………………32%……………………..45%
Indonesia
…………………51%……………………40%………………………8%
Iraq
…………………55%……………………42%……………………….1%
Israel
…………………48%……………………43%……………………….9%
Italy
…………………81%……………………14%……………………….6%
Kenya
…………………53%……………………38%……………………….9%
Mexico
…………………50%……………………24%………………………27%
Nigeria
…………………49%……………………39%………………………12%
Philippines
…………………56%……………………40%……………………….5%
Poland
…………………62%……………………27%………………………12%
Russia
…………………43%……………………37%………………………19%
S Korea
…………………66%……………………31%………………………..3%
Spain
…………………65%……………………16%………………………19%
Turkey
…………………62%……………………24%………………………14%
Ukraine
…………………54%……………………29%………………………18%
US
…………………58%……………………36%……………………….7%

Average
…………………59%……………………29%……………………….12%