The Politicized Torture Debate

I wrote a bit about this today for posting later this week, but I saw this video clip and wanted to pass it along. It's (of all things) Jesse Ventura on The View. The conversation is interesting because I think that there are three main points in the debate about torture.

1) It doesn't serve our national interests to break the law. Therefore, whether torture works or not, we should not do it. Also, anyone who was involved should be held accountable to the established rule of law
2) The left: This is something that we might be able to get Bush on because he pissed us off on so much other stuff and now I smell blood. Chaaaarge!
3) The right: It's better for our national security...well it's not really torture, it's enhanced interrogation....well it was a tough time to be in power....EVERYONE knew about it and was doing it!!!!!!!

The first point is where Ventura is coming from. Interestingly enough...from the viewers perspective...he's surrounded by Joy Behar on his left and Elizabeth Hasselbeck on his right! I find myself in Ventura's camp, and think a whole lot of Americans might as well. Definitely worth a watch as I feel it sums up this debate in one - nice - 'View' - morsel!

Jesse Ventura discusses torture on The View

"There is a peculiar aspect to the debate over the use of waterboarding on terrorist detainees. Those who have actually experienced the procedure first hand insist it is ineffective at best and torture at worst. Those who couldn't be more removed from its employment argue that it works in thwarting terrorist attacks."
~Sam Stein: Hufington Post