Comments on: CIA psychology through the declassified memos

By: StunnedMullet

StunnedMullet — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:10:42 +0000

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/torture-it-probably-killed-more-americans-than-911-1674396.html
Here is a true heroine…
http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/petersonalyssar.html

By: christo

christo — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:31:31 +0000

I’m sorry to see that your interesting analysis of the situation has brought on comments from people who can only see this sad situation form a political perspective.
You comment about the misunderstanding of learned helplessness is critical. “Learned helplessness” is the stated goal of the psychological consulting firm hired by the CIA, run by James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen.
See this Salon article form a couple of years ago: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/06/21/cia_sere/print.html

By: Sig F Hesse

Sig F Hesse — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:43:37 +0000

I’m amazed at how easy it is to have compassion for the accused while having so little for the accuser.
The leadership and interrogators were under tremendous real-time pressure to prevent another attack. They wrestled with the legalities and ethics and sought advice and consent from the medical and legal communities.
To the best of their abilities they tried to satisfy two conflicting goals. Their end product was imperfect, but its reported to have prevented an imminent attack on Los Angeles.
Perhaps you could let your bleeding hearts shed a few cells for the men and women who wrestled with the dissonance of the situation and who’ve been exposed to possible future trauma by their new President.

By: StunnedMullet

StunnedMullet — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:17:04 +0000

To Badhypnotist… Stop the situation? Or make it? What you want to achieve and do achieve are very different.
What you achieve is the unforgetting unrelenting undying unsleeping hatred of every friend and family member of the people you torture.
What you achieve is the fear, distrust, disgust and deep enmity of all who might otherwise have been your willing allies.
A pox on both your houses! You and your enemies deserve each other.

By: madhypnotist

madhypnotist — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:09:31 +0000

Lillian.. We are essentially at war. I use the term essentially because people debate the politics of war, but, the mental or psychological torture leads to information that saves lives. Possibly on both sides. The goal isn’t death nor is it physical harm. We are facing an enemy without those rules. I for one am in favor of these “enhanced techniques” I have two relatives, soon to be three, that face these combatants and would rather use every technique allowed by law, to stop this situation as quickly as possible. Our military is publicly funded and with the information gathered, we are targeting more specific areas and accomplishing more goals.
Just my opinion. But, I believe we received valuable and lifesaving information via these techniques, you may not. It is a topic worthy of debate. Im not sure what info the enemy received when they torture, burn and behead our troops before they drag them thru the streets… but, I think our system is far more humane

By: Rhodora Online

Rhodora Online — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:03:44 +0000

I cannot but help noticing the impersonal tone of this article. We may call it ‘professionalism’ but it is as much ‘desensitization’. When we strip what we are discussing of its human touch and instead talk or think of it using only abstract and academic terminology, we gain a distancing from the emotional and moral repercussions of what we are discussing. I believe this is one of the factors that makes us easy to implement and/or let implemented such inhumane and torturous methods of interrogation.

By: Lilian Nattel

Lilian Nattel — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:09:17 +0000

This is psychological torture. The sort of person who engages in it and the rationalization of it is twisted. It is publicly funded abuse of the most vile and disgusting kind because its aim is to cause such confusion and emotional pain that the person’s spirit is broken. As you say regarding learned helplessness, it doesn’t even lead to the ostensible aim, ie procuring information. Although I believe that the aim wouldn’t justify the means either, it is evident that the means don’t even achieve the ends. It is outrageous. And people wonder why there is still so much abuse in our society! It’s part and parcel of our legal and citizen funded institutions.