Another Prominent Republican Endorses Torture

[sphmug]

Professor Eugene Volokh is a leading figure in the conservative legal community, and has been suggested as a possible judicial appointment by President Bush. He's also the latest big name Republican to support torture.

hough for many instances I would prefer less painful forms of execution, I am especially pleased that the killing — and, yes, I am happy to call it a killing, a perfectly proper term for a perfectly proper act — was a slow throttling, and was preceded by a flogging. The one thing that troubles me (besides the fact that the murderer could only be killed once) is that the accomplice was sentenced to only 15 years in prison, but perhaps there's a good explanation.

I am being perfectly serious, by the way. I like civilization, but some forms of savagery deserve to be met not just with cold, bloodless justice but with the deliberate infliction of pain, with cruel vengeance rather than with supposed humaneness or squeamishness. I think it slights the burning injustice of the murders, and the pain of the families, to react in any other way.

And, yes, I know this aligns me in this instance with the Iranian government — but even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and in this instance the Iranians are quite correct.

UPDATE: I should mention that such a punishment would probably violate the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause. I'm not an expert on the history of the clause, but my point is that the punishment is proper because it's cruel (i.e., because it involves the deliberate infliction of pain as part of the punishment), so it may well be unconstitutional. I would therefore endorse amending the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause to expressly exclude punishment for some sorts of mass murders.

Naturally, I don't expect this to happen any time soon; my point is about what should be the rule, not about what is the rule, or even what is the constitutionally permissible rule. I think the Bill of Rights is generally a great idea, but I don't think it's holy writ handed down from on high. Certain amendments to it may well be proper, though again I freely acknowledge that they'd be highly unlikely.

In any event, there's nothing unconstitutional about letting victims' relatives participate in the execution; it's only the use of cruel means that would require an amendment.

[cornermouse]

1. There is no excuse for torture.

This person is actively promoting barbarism.

[Warpy]

2. Torture doesn't WORK

and that's something that has been proven again and again.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. Yep

One thing I'm wondering is where the heck is John McCain? Why isn't he actively speaking out against this? Oh, never mind. I forgot. Silly me!

[sphmug]

6. pretty much

He proudly advocates for barbarism, and tries to say that his kind of barbarism is good barbarism.

[newyawker99]

8. Hi sphmug!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Webster Green]

3. Lovely!

12th century bullshit.

What a dick-head!

[Inland]

5. Why not let the relatives and friends commit the torture, too?

So if a convict killed someone with a lot of friends--or a few sicko, twisted friends--he gets a lot of torture.

But if a convict killed some homeless guy, well, no torture for him.

Does it make the guy wonder why those punishments are pretty much limited to countries that are brutal to criminals as non-criminals alike? People aren't tortured because there's justice to it. They are tortured because sickos like treating others that way. And that's what he says is Iran getting it partly right--by ignoring civil rights of all, they get it right with those our author would have tortured. Good work, that.

[LynnTheDem]

7. What's the difference again between republicans and the Taleban???

Every day I see less and less difference.

[unhappycamper]

9. the Taliban has supervised religious education?

[LynnTheDem]

11. That's a bush goal; I wanna know the DIFFERENCES.

;)

[sphmug]

12. hope

The difference, and this is important, is that Republicans still have to face a strong opposition which threatens their very existance. Unfortunately I'm not talking about our woefully flacid Democratic Party, I'm talking about us, the grassroots Americans who can and must wake our country up to what is going on.

And for what it's worth, I personally believe our nation more closely resembles 1920s America than 1930s Germany, in that the imminent danger we face isn't minority ghettos and concentration camps, it is total economic collapse.

[LynnTheDem]

15. My hope level is hovering on empty

But 10 mths from now me & mine are OUTTA here! Ya'll keep fighting from within; I'll fight from without.

Together, who knows.

:D

[bryant69]

10. The wicked torment the wicked

Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster - Nietzsche (probably not exactly right).

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. JESUS H. CHRIST MY HEAD IS SPINNING

What a MONSTER! Is he a university professor or something? Or just a pundit with a diploma?

I see no difference between a person that believes that and Charles Manson. None at all.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

14. Ladies an gentleman, I think the Left has just been handed its very own

Ward Churchill on a silver platter.

[norml]

16. Iran's 'desert vampire' executed

Iran's 'desert vampire' executed

An Iranian serial killer who murdered at least 20 children has been executed in front a large crowd of spectators.
Mohammad Bijeh, 24, dubbed "the Tehran desert vampire" by Iran's press, was flogged 100 times before being hanged.

A brother of one of his young victims stabbed him as he was being punished. The mother of another victim was asked to put the noose around his neck.

The execution took place in Pakdasht south of Tehran, near where Bijeh's year-long killing spree took place.


snip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4353449.stm