I'm going to springboard too! Or, maybe, just use something you said to ask another question.
I'd make an arguement that in this day and age we are actually more sensitive to this kind of thing than we've ever been before. I mean, last time I checked, there weren't any groups of common American's gathering in crowds to watch a man be drawn and quartered for sheer amusement. The torture in Iraqi prisons was sadly pretty tame in comparison to what man has done to man historically.
See, for me, the shocking thing about the torture of people at Guantanamo was linked to the fact that, as you point out, torture isn't at all as prevalent as it used to be. Why? Because we're supposed to know better. We have human rights charters and prisoner of war protocols that were set up because western society is supposed to be based on a bedrock of humanitarian belief. Those laws have been contravened and abused by the very people (the american and british armies) who supposedly exist to protect them. That's what made those photographs shocking to me, and I think it does have some link to what Jed was saying - that it's about the perception of who the 'good guy' might really be. Because ideally, right, the good guy doesn't torture people, even 'bad' people, to get whatever he needs for the greater good. When he does, it's shocking, and as such I don't really see how it can contribute to the development of a blase attitude... right?
*has lost her point* Anyone see my point around here somewhere?
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Date: 2005-03-02 10:26 pm (UTC)I'd make an arguement that in this day and age we are actually more sensitive to this kind of thing than we've ever been before. I mean, last time I checked, there weren't any groups of common American's gathering in crowds to watch a man be drawn and quartered for sheer amusement. The torture in Iraqi prisons was sadly pretty tame in comparison to what man has done to man historically.
See, for me, the shocking thing about the torture of people at Guantanamo was linked to the fact that, as you point out, torture isn't at all as prevalent as it used to be. Why? Because we're supposed to know better. We have human rights charters and prisoner of war protocols that were set up because western society is supposed to be based on a bedrock of humanitarian belief. Those laws have been contravened and abused by the very people (the american and british armies) who supposedly exist to protect them. That's what made those photographs shocking to me, and I think it does have some link to what Jed was saying - that it's about the perception of who the 'good guy' might really be. Because ideally, right, the good guy doesn't torture people, even 'bad' people, to get whatever he needs for the greater good. When he does, it's shocking, and as such I don't really see how it can contribute to the development of a blase attitude... right?
*has lost her point* Anyone see my point around here somewhere?