Surely, we can all agree on one thing: torture is wrong.
So, why do government authorities keep turning to it?
The results of a poll I conducted on Twitter and Mastodon last week were admittedly not scientifically collected, but they are nevertheless revealing.
I asked, “For you, what’s the most important reason to oppose torture?” I gave four options: 1) it’s illegal; 2) it’s immoral; 3) it’s ineffective.; and 4) it’s counterproductive.
Now, all of these options are correct, of course. Yes, national laws may vary, but the prohibition against torture is a bedrock principle of international law. It’s well-known that torture “doesn’t work” in terms of getting useful information in interrogations, and is even counterproductive, acting as a kind of recruiting tool for a country’s enemies.
But I didn’t give polltakers an “all of the above” option, because that would be too easy, and I wanted to see how people were thinking.
Of the nearly 2000 people who voted in the poll, 80% chose the second option – torture is simply immoral – as most important to them.
Several people used the reply areas to explain their reasoning. Even if it did “work” and even if it were legal, some explained, it would still be inhumane. Others noted that it’s illegal precisely because it’s morally wrong: the wrongness comes first.
“It’s wrong because it’s wrong,” was one straightforward summary.
Respondents came from a wide variety of backgrounds: different countries, mother tongues, religions, classes… you name it. So, the fact that 80% of us share the same opinion to me says a lot. There’s something deeper than culture at work here, something universal: our shared humanity.
So, why do our governments so often not align with our deeply held values?
Russia has used torture in occupied Ukraine and inside Russia. China has used torture… Iran has used torture… Egypt has used torture… Nicaragua… The United States… Migrants are being tortured in Libya with the complicity of the European Union.
Why do so many of our governments – authoritarian and democratic – so frequently abandon our shared morality?
And what can we all do to make governments respect our values?
Please email me or contact me on Twitter or Mastodon with your thoughts and ideas.