Is torture ever justified?

It’s essential for securityIt is regarded inhumane and loathed upon by moralists but torture has its place in history as an act that has shaped some of the world’s safest countries and cities.

Thursday, September 20, 2012
Ivan Mugisha

It’s essential for securityIt is regarded inhumane and loathed upon by moralists but torture has its place in history as an act that has shaped some of the world’s safest countries and cities.Much as no country will come out to acknowledge it, all governments in all continents practice it, and not because they enjoy it but because it is necessary for peace.There are different forms of torture out there, some negative and sadistic (I can’t even fathom) but I’m quite sure you know the kind I’m talking about- the Jack Bauer type.For those of you who don’t know, Jack Bauer is a character in the famous ‘24’ television series that captivated audiences all over the world for its fast paced action. Bauer is its main focus as a non-compromising agent in the US Counter Terrorist Unit, who will stop at nothing to get the information he wants and stop terrorists.In the end, Bauer had tortured both the innocent and guilty all in the name of creating a safe country for Americans. Much as this was fiction, it highlighted what is really behind the politics of peace and security, and the evil that our leaders are sometimes forced to authorize day and night just to keep us safe.The world is full of dangerous criminals operating in rings, such as terrorists and genocidaires who signed pacts to keep their operations a secret long enough to hurt every innocent life they deem an enemy.When one of the members of a terrorist group is captured, it is best to watch them closely day and night because most likely, suicide seems like the only option because they’d rather die than give away the slightest hint on the whereabouts of a stooge.Therefore, to get any credible information from such a person, the best way is to scare the living hell out of them with threats that are not empty but stone-cold real. Then when they refuse to speak, electrocute them, cut off their fingers, water-board them until they say who their boss is or where they next plan to attack. In the end, the interrogator will sleep well at night knowing that although he did some despicable things to a single human beings, his actions saved over a thousand people.Isn’t it even ironic that the United Nations condemns torture, but never gives a solution to acts of terrorism and suicide bombings that is making the world a scary place to live in?People who say that torture is unacceptable in all circumstances sometimes do not understand the gravity of the matter. Indeed, unknown to them; such beliefs unfairly raise the rights of a criminal above the rights of the unsuspecting prey.