OK- I assume that these people can be considered to be of above average intelligence.
They are after all, generally, that which floats to the 'top' of society.
They study human thought, behaviour and thinking.

And they have to DEBATE THE ETHICS OF TORTURE ?????

Please tell me it's not just me who has a problem here.




A psychologist is a scientist or clinician who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human mind, including behavior and cognition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychologist





US psychologists gathered at their annual convention are debating this weekend whether or not it is ethical for them to take part in interrogation programs that involve torture carried out by military and intelligence agencies.
A series of sessions titled Ethics and Interrogations feature prominently at this year's American Psychological Association (APA) convention in San Francisco after it emerged that psychologists played a pivotal role in devising Central Intelligence Agency's "enhanced interrogation techniques", which include methods considered "cruel and inhuman" by human rights groups.
A landmark report by leading rights groups Human Rights First and Physicians for Human Rights found that officials who authorize or use "enhanced" interrogation techniques risk violating US law and could face criminal prosecution, even though President George W. Bush official sancationed these methods under an Executive Order issued last month.



Continued..... http://pressesc.com/news/1118/ ... ture-psychologists-debate

Quote from Racer X NZ :

OK- I assume that these people can be considered to be of above average intelligence.
They are after all, generally, that which floats to the 'top' of society.

That which floats to the 'top', as it were, may also be referred to as 'scum' ...

Superior intelligence doesn't necessarily lead to an equal level of morality. After all, the Nazis had many highly intelligent people on their side (although, by and large, the most intelligent ones fled Germany and worked for the Allies). The current US regime is no different - there may be a monkey at the top of the tree, but on every branch below him there's a much smarter chimpanzee.

Quote from Hankstar :

there may be a monkey at the top of the tree, but on every branch below him there's a much smarter chimpanzee.

...and when the ones below look up, all they see is an arsehole!

Quote from Racer X NZ :

OK- I assume that these people can be considered to be of above average intelligence.
They are after all, generally, that which floats to the 'top' of society.
They study human thought, behaviour and thinking.

And they have to DEBATE THE ETHICS OF TORTURE ?????

Please tell me it's not just me who has a problem here.




A psychologist is a scientist or clinician who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human mind, including behavior and cognition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychologist





US psychologists gathered at their annual convention are debating this weekend whether or not it is ethical for them to take part in interrogation programs that involve torture carried out by military and intelligence agencies.
A series of sessions titled Ethics and Interrogations feature prominently at this year's (APA) convention in San Francisco after it emerged that psychologists played a pivotal role in devising Central Intelligence Agency's "enhanced interrogation techniques", which include methods considered "cruel and inhuman" by human rights groups.
A landmark report by leading rights groups Human Rights First and Physicians for Human Rights found that officials who authorize or use "enhanced" interrogation techniques risk violating US law and could face criminal prosecution, even though President George W. Bush official sancationed these methods under an Executive Order issued last month.



Continued..... http://pressesc.com/news/1118/ ... ture-psychologists-debate

LOL I think you misspelled ethics... More like ethic$. And I think they should've been more accurate in the title. Like : "How to Use Torture and Interrogation Techniques to Justify Increasing the Bill"
I wouldn't be surprised if some head shrinkers in the near future come up with some of those same techniques they are "worried" bout now as part of their therapy routines.

LOL "after shooting bottled soda up the subject's nose for a period of two weeks, the subject finally succeeded in overcoming their compulsive eating disorder."

Quote from Racer Y :

LOL "after shooting bottled soda up the subject's nose for a period of two weeks, the subject finally succeeded in overcoming their compulsive eating disorder."

If it works it'll be the latest thing for pop stars and actresses in no time.

The APA is considering to bar its associates from participating in interrogations because the methods are considered questionable by APA itself. This article from Salon explains why we have to see this discussion as a step forward, not behind.

Yeah, I fail to see what's stupid about having a rational discussion between professionals on this subject.

It depends from the level of professionalism and the ethical bounds of your profession. If it was an association of psychiatrists instead of psychologists, it would have been an utterly stupid discussion. Not that I have a better opinion of a particular group of professionals, it's just that psychologists have different (much more lax) ethical bounds.

Torture happens, whether it is or is not ethical depends on your point of view. To have a discussion on whether or not to help in interogation involving torture seems sensible to me (in the way of having the discussion not the topic)

Who cares?

Idiots don't care, for sure. They are unaware, and much likely to be victims of people like these.

Quote from Albieg :

Idiots don't care, for sure. They are unaware, and much likely to be victims of people like these.

Why? What makes someone who doesn't care "unaware"? What are they unaware about?

Certainly I know more on the subject than you do. Welcome to the real world, W4H. Don't forget to do a reality check from time to time, it might help you stay alive.

And stop trolling. Just go away. Mature conversations are not made for you.

Quote from Albieg :

Certainly I know more on the subject than you do. Welcome to the real world, W4H. Don't forget to do a reality check from time to time, it might help you stay alive.

I'm very immature and young. But is it too much to ask for you to explain how this subject relates to me?

Wikipedia suffices:

History

"Idiot" was originally created to refer to people who were overly concerned with their own self-interest and ignored the needs of the community. Declining to take part in public life, such as democratic government of the polis (city state), such as the Athenian democracy, was considered dishonorable. "Idiots" were seen as having bad judgment in public and political matters. Over time, the term "idiot" shifted away from its original connotation of selfishness and came to refer to individuals with overall bad judgment–individuals who are "stupid". In modern English usage, the terms "idiot" and "idiocy" describe an extreme folly or stupidity, its symptoms (foolish or stupid utterance or deed). In psychology, it is a historical term for the state or condition now called profound mental retardation.

So you're an idiot if you choose not to care, or if you're unable to. You've had your answer, now think about it and come back when you want to care.

Ethics of torture? What is there to talk about, it's against any ethics western world should be based on. Savages.

It's a handy tool this torture though, you always have the truth you want to hear, sweeeeet.

Quote from Albieg :

So you're an idiot if you choose not to care, or if you're unable to. You've had your answer, now think about it and come back when you want to care.

I'm just wondering what is portayed to me as terrorists being tortured has to do with me? I am just wondering why I should care about them being tortured. It is unfortunate that you must get this angry at me. I guess it's okay to flame me, because I disagree with the general consensus of this thread. I would like to care, but I just can't seem to find enough evidence that I should. No-one on either side of this debate has given me any reason to hold an opinion.

Quote from wheel4hummer :

I am just wondering why I should care about them being tortured.

When they take you away i certainly won't loose a wink of sleep.

Quote from Jakg :

When they take you away i certainly won't loose a wink of sleep.

Who's they? Where am I going?

Quote from wheel4hummer :

Who's they? Where am I going?

Teletubbies. To the Teletubbieland.... or homeland security and Guantanamo. Or can they torture on main land too now?

You don't seem to see any problems with torture do you?

Quote from Blackout :

You don't see any problems with torture?

It depends who is getting tortured.

Quote from wheel4hummer :

It depends who is getting tortured.

How is that then?

Quote from Blackout :

How is that then?

Well... what about Adolf Hitler? During the Holocaust, don't you think he would have deserved to be tortured?

I'm not angry. I'm tired. It's 1000 times worse.
It's unfortunate that you have to deresponsibilize yourself when you don't like something. You just choose to turn the other way. I'm afraid you have no real grasp of what a democracy means, and what maturity means.

Take, for instance, the way you handle people who dislike your baseless opinions (since there's no fact to support them). Take, for example, your signature inviting people to ignore you. This must be, of course, because lots of people are disgusted by what you write, otherwise you'd have no reason to have such a signature (unless you consider strong opinions based on weak facts a good reason. Just don't ask for examples, this might really hurt you in this forum, although you wouldn't feel ashamed, sadly).

Yet you reverse the logic and put the burden of your words on others, asking them to ignore you. You're excluding yourself from society, giving people the hassle to control your words since you can't do it yourself. You INVITE people to do so, then you wonder why you're treated in such a way. Well, surprise, a forum is a place where you share your opinions with others, not your indifference.

Moreover, maturity comes from accepting the responsibility of your actions. For instance, by calling you an idiot I accept the responsibility of conducting a personal attack, although such attack could be deeply grounded in a set of well known facts, or hard evidence. You can't accept those responsibilities, and you demand others to do the job for you. In this you're no more than an additional burden.

And by answering to your Nth, pathetic attempt of steering something you don't like into irrilevance I accept the responsibility of steering a thread that may interest someone else off-topic, thus breaking once again the rules of the forum.

Unluckily in this case, I'm not you. I have a different set of rules. If I had yours, since you've demonstrated your utter lack of maturity (with your own words, too!) I'd just dispose of you. I cannot. I care, even for those who have a disgusting behaviour. That's a form of protection you benefit from. It's part of my perceived maturity. Don't abuse it, or I may start thinking like you, and this would be far from a huge step for humanity.

I've never really seen how torture works. I mean, either the person is a 'bad guy' in which case they'll resist you perhaps to the death or wait until you seem like they can convince you and lie, or they'll be innocent and no amount of torture will get the answer you want unless they come up with something that convinces you by accident or in order to stop you hurting them. As far as I can see it's only useful to sickos who like doing it and to people who want revenge on those they think have hurt them. Couching it in a blanket of respectability by getting some talking lab coat to put his name to it doesn't make it any better.