Second thought about USA as a "torture state"

[Don Corleone]

Not speaking to the ethical/political discussion intended for this thread, but the actual mechanics of it...

I've accidentally backed myself into experimentation with water-boarding (on myself). To make a long story short, I was drinking water in bed, with a much lower pillow than I had used before.

Interesting... no matter how much I tried to go slow and prepare myself, despite the fact that I myself was administering the water to myself.... Could not suppress the reflexive terror of the instinctive feel of drowning.

Honestly, this changed my whole view on water-boarding. Prior to this, I always suspected that the detainees and others subjected to it were making mountains out of molehills. I stand thoroughly corrected, it does indeed incite tremendous, possibly unbearable psychological pressure.

[Kadagar_AV]

Not speaking to the ethical/political discussion intended for this thread, but the actual mechanics of it...

I've accidentally backed myself into experimentation with water-boarding (on myself). To make a long story short, I was drinking water in bed, with a much lower pillow than I had used before.

Interesting... no matter how much I tried to go slow and prepare myself, despite the fact that I myself was administering the water to myself.... Could not suppress the reflexive terror of the instinctive feel of drowning.

Honestly, this changed my whole view on water-boarding. Prior to this, I always suspected that the detainees and others subjected to it were making mountains out of molehills. I stand thoroughly corrected, it does indeed incite tremendous, possibly unbearable psychological pressure.

Yeah, people judging it as anything less than torture must watch Fox News several hours a day...

[Don Corleone]

I didn't use the word torture, as that's a pretty value laden term with many definitions that are in the eye of the beholden. I'll stay with extreme psychological pressure.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I didn't use the word torture, as that's a pretty value laden term with many definitions that are in the eye of the beholden. I'll stay with extreme psychological pressure.

How is that anything but the definition of torture?
noun
noun torture

• the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or to force them to do or say something, or for the pleasure of the person inflicting the pain.
  
  
  
  • great physical or mental suffering or anxiety.
    torment agony suffering pain anguishmisery distress heartbreak affliction scourgetrauma wretchedness hell purgatory
    
  • a cause of suffering or anxiety.
    infliction of pain abuse ill-treatmentmaltreatment persecution sadism