Forty-five percent of Americans support "torture"

[kentuck]

in some instances.

We are fucking doomed! Do these people not know what was done in their names? Our country is screwed.
We are a bunch of uneducated and sick assholes. Torture is OK under some circumstances?? And we are supposed to have "hope"??

[C_U_L8R]

1. If anything it proves we're not a 'christian nation"

nowhere near it.

[ncteechur]

11. I am a Christian BUT I suspect that of the 45% who approve, about 80% call themselves Christian.

[krabigirl]

22. Yep. Their version of Jesus gets crazier by the day.

A gun-toting, racist, woman-hating, capitalist, wealthy, torture-loving Jesus!

[KittyWampus]

2. Considering the amount of misinformation and the mindfucking we've been subjected to 45% is good

In fact it's a plurality.

[Avalux]

3. People follow the lead of the media.

And thus far, they have been promoting the idea that torture is OK *sometimes*.

It's disheartening to see such a large percentage. We have a lot of work to do, don't we?

[hobbit709]

4. Basically, half the population consists of brainwashed idiots.

[spanone]

5. welcome to dumbfuckistan

[stillcool]

6. I don't believe it..but I believe..

it's a great rationale. It's the people's fault there will be no in depth investigation, prosecution.

[kentuck]

7. Bingo !

I didn't catch who did the poll? Probably Wall Street Journal or some other Republican torture apologists?

[mwb970]

8. We Americans are dumb, ignorant, and frightened.

As a result of the Great Decline, initiated by Reagan and taken to mind-numbing extremes by the breath-takingly awful george w bush, we've forgotten how to even be Americans. As long as we have our cell phones and our SUVs we're happy. Ignorance abounds. Lies are believed. Evil thrives.

I am so glad that the "prime time" of my life occurred before our country turned to crap. I feel very sorry for today's youngsters. What a sick, lost nation we are leaving them!

[tsuki]

17. You forgot superstitious. nt

[woo me with science]

9. There is a lot of misinformation about what was actually done.

Limbaugh/Hannity et al. are pounding the message that the definition of "torture" has been expanded to nothing worse than putting someone into a room with a caterpillar.

They are trying to link this to the image of liberals as wimpy snowflakes who do not even want naughty children to be disciplined and cannot possibly be trusted to protect a country.

They are repeating that these techniques consisted of nothing worse than is done to soldiers at boot camp or volunteers at an Outward Bound retreat.

I just heard a 30-minute segment on Washington Journal in which the guest speaker described the construction of false, collapsing walls so that detainees being thrown into them would not be harmed at all. The callers were given the message that it takes an unusually HUMANE country to go to such lengths to prevent harm to prisoners.

Many reasonable people will be swayed by these types of arguments, if they are allowed to believe that this is the worst that was done. If they can be convinced that "tricky" but non-harmful interrogations will prevent another 9/11, then they will side with those justifying "strong tactics."

They have not heard the stories we see at DU. That is why the release of information is so important, and why the defenders of Bush and company are so nervous right now.

[Captain Hilts]

10. The older generation also remembers WWII when our enemy and its combatants were clearly defined

You think we didn't scare the crap out of captured German officers? Oh yeah we did.

[KittyWampus]

12. important point.

[KharmaTrain]

13. Through The Looking Glass...Our Media Culture...

There's been a major disconnect with the US and the rest of the world for decades. It's what I've termed the "American Myopia" where all we see and hear about the world is how it affects us. When two third world nations go to war, our corporate media never goes into the cultural or historical prespective, but only "how it affects us". A totally arrogant attitude, but one that has permeated American culture...teevee, movies, books...for decades. It was the "American myth" that became "America right or wrong" and was constantly fed to us for most of our lives with little notice...if anything we expected it. Rambo wouldn't have drawn billions in sales if he'd lost...John Wayne was idolized cause he shot first and rarely asked any questions.

Thus now when we have teevee shows like 24 and a media culture that glorified the military and guns. Ideals and debate never settle a problem like a good gunfight could. It's this mindset that we now view the world...and sadly, too many believed the movies and Clancy and Ann Rand novels to look at things in a realistic manner.

[newfie11]

14. I never saw the poll

If I missed it I am sure a great many others did to.

I don't believe the results at all.

I don't know anyone that supports torture.

[prolesunited]

15. Look how many support the death penalty, too

We are a very barbaric country in many ways.

[santamargarita]

16. Which Fox News poll was this?

:crazy:

[keopeli]

18. LIE. polls often are in the US. nt

[kentuck]

19. Good point.

And the poll should be called for what it is - a clever piece of propaganda.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. What poll?

[kentuck]

21. It was mentioned on MSNBC this morning...

I was listening in the background and did not get the name of the poll or who did it. I was shocked at the numbers that approved.

[Bluenorthwest]

24. The reason I asked is that

the exact question asked is important, and the specifics of the numbers. 'Under some circumstances' is a pretty loaded phrase. Vauge.
But I know about hearing something on TV and being asked for a link! I hated to even ask! I'll check out msnbc and see if I can find details.

[krabigirl]

23. I bet those geniuses are "pro-life" too.

[piratefish08]

25. WWJW?

who would jesus waterboard?