Zero Dark Thirty And The Oscars

For John, BLUF:  Senator McCain knows whereof he speaks.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Torture is morally wrong and it isn't all that effective.  So argues Mr Mark Salter, former chief of staff to Sen. John McCain and a senior adviser to the McCain for President campaign (way back in 2008).  He argues his position in Real Clear Politics.  This came up out of an NPR discussion of the movie Zero Dark Thirty missing an Oscar last year, and one of the on air people blaming three US Senators, including Senator John McCain.

We shouldn’t have to argue against the use of torture by disputing its efficacy, but those are the grounds on which its proponents make their stand.  Sometimes torture will get you actionable intelligence.  More often it produces false leads.  It didn’t give us bin Laden.  But it is always morally wrong, contrary and corrosive to the ideals that our nation was founded to protect.  “Zero Dark Thirty” gave credence to those who would have us employ those practices again.

I am with Mr Salter.

Regards  —  Cliff