What is Torture?

Silverhair · #1 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 11:03 AM

What would be a working defination of torture? Of course such things as burning slivers under the fingernails, being beaten, and such as that would be torture.

But is having panties put on your head torture?

Is being tied to a chair and having a beautiful nude woman give you a lap dance torture?

Is a mock execution torture?

Having pig fat smeared on you?

Loud angry acid rock music?

Seeing a copy of your holy scriptures thrown in a used toilet bucket?

Lights in your cell on and off at irregular hours? (This causes a disruption of the body's natural rythms.)

How about the bad-cop/good-cop routine. Well known but still extremely effective.

Those kind of things cause no, or at least very little, physical pain. Instead they are mind games. For the whole object of torture is to break the victims mental will to resist. Once that will is broken, they will start telling what they know.

What is "fair" and what is "foul" in those mind games? As the stakes increase, does the bar move?

Areyouforreal · #2 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 11:11 AM

Torture
Pronunciation: 'tor-ch&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, from Old French, from Late Latin tortura, from Latin tortus, past participle of torquEre to twist; probably akin to Old High German drAhsil turner, Greek atraktos spindle
1 a : anguish of body or mind : AGONY b : something that causes agony or pain
2 : the infliction of intense pain (as from burning, crushing, or wounding) to punish, coerce, or afford sadistic pleasure
3 : distortion or overrefinement of a meaning or an argument : STRAINING

I guess if having panties on your head causes you mental agony that is torture then.

Spitty · #3 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverhair

What would be a working defination of torture? Of course such things as burning slivers under the fingernails, being beaten, and such as that would be torture.

But is having panties put on your head torture?

Is being tied to a chair and having a beautiful nude woman give you a lap dance torture?

Is a mock execution torture?

Having pig fat smeared on you?

Loud angry acid rock music?

Seeing a copy of your holy scriptures thrown in a used toilet bucket?

Lights in your cell on and off at irregular hours? (This causes a disruption of the body's natural rythms.)

How about the bad-cop/good-cop routine. Well known but still extremely effective.

Those kind of things cause no, or at least very little, physical pain. Instead they are mind games. For the whole object of torture is to break the victims mental will to resist. Once that will is broken, they will start telling what they know.

What is "fair" and what is "foul" in those mind games? As the stakes increase, does the bar move?

So this is what you and your boyfriend do for fun. To each his own. BTW, you can't bring your KY Jelly on to the plane.

Spitty · #4 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Areyouforreal

Torture
Pronunciation: 'tor-ch&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, from Old French, from Late Latin tortura, from Latin tortus, past participle of torquEre to twist; probably akin to Old High German drAhsil turner, Greek atraktos spindle
1 a : anguish of body or mind : AGONY b : something that causes agony or pain
2 : the infliction of intense pain (as from burning, crushing, or wounding) to punish, coerce, or afford sadistic pleasure
3 : distortion or overrefinement of a meaning or an argument : STRAINING

I guess if having panties on your head causes you mental agony that is torture then.

I would have excepted sitting through a Bush teleprompter reading session. It is hard to watch him.

Hodgepodge · #5 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverhair

What would be a working defination of torture? <snip>

Is a mock execution torture?

In my mind it would probably qualify as mental torture.

Having pig fat smeared on you?

Defiling ones religion might quality as mental torture.

Loud angry acid rock music?

Not in a legal sense, but I would not be a happy camper!

Seeing a copy of your holy scriptures thrown in a used toilet bucket?

Nope. It might make me mad, but not torture.

Lights in your cell on and off at irregular hours? (This causes a disruption of the body's natural rythms.)

Nope. It might make me mad, but not torture.

How about the bad-cop/good-cop routine. Well known but still extremely effective.

No.

Those kind of things cause no, or at least very little, physical pain. Instead they are mind games. For the whole object of torture is to break the victims mental will to resist. Once that will is broken, they will start telling what they know.

What is "fair" and what is "foul" in those mind games? As the stakes increase, does the bar move?

War is hell. It should not be made sterile. Interrogation of people is, while distasteful, often necessary.

Now as to these last two you mentioned...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverhair

But is having panties put on your head torture?

Definate mental torture. Makes one feel like a frustrated girly man!

Is being tied to a chair and having a beautiful nude woman give you a lap dance torture?

Please! Don't! Stop!

Whip me, beat me, make me write bad checks!

Still Dizzy · #6 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 06:17 PM

Watching Hillary, and Rosie O'Donnal, nude on a trampoline.

Hodgepodge · #7 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Still Dizzy

Watching Hillary, and Rosie O'Donnal, nude on a trampoline.

That would constitute cruel and unusual punishment!

Cordelier · #8 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 07:09 PM

According to Article 1 of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment:

Quote:

For the purposes of this Convention, the term "torture" means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.

So, yes, I'd say pretty much all of the examples you cite could be constituted as "torture".

oceanbreeze · #9 (**permalink**) 08-21-2006, 10:58 PM

I'm laughing so hard my gut hurts.....

rob · #10 (**permalink**) 08-24-2006, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverhair

What would be a working defination of torture? Of course such things as burning slivers under the fingernails, being beaten, and such as that would be torture.

But is having panties put on your head torture?

Is being tied to a chair and having a beautiful nude woman give you a lap dance torture?

Is a mock execution torture?

Having pig fat smeared on you?

Loud angry acid rock music?

Seeing a copy of your holy scriptures thrown in a used toilet bucket?

Lights in your cell on and off at irregular hours? (This causes a disruption of the body's natural rythms.)

How about the bad-cop/good-cop routine. Well known but still extremely effective.

Those kind of things cause no, or at least very little, physical pain. Instead they are mind games. For the whole object of torture is to break the victims mental will to resist. Once that will is broken, they will start telling what they know.

What is "fair" and what is "foul" in those mind games? As the stakes increase, does the bar move?

Hell, you could find people in California that would pay good money to be tortured like that.