The skeptic in me thinks THIS is the reason conservatives promote torture

[Bonn1997]

Why do they seem to dismiss so readily the conclusion of most experts that it gives false information? Perhaps at some (maybe less conscious level) accurate information is not what they're after. Rather, they just want to physically displace their anger toward and cause physical pain among any scary Muslims who look like the 9/11 attackers.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Agreed but

conservatives do not want to "cause physical pain" they want someone else to cause physical pain because conservatives are cowards who value torture but won't do it themselves. Torture, ignorance and hate are all conservative values and I chuckle when they convulse themselves trying to distance themselves from their values.

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. Conservatives respond to authoritarianism and the.......

ultimate authoritarian is the guy torturing you while you are shackled.
It has nothing to do with information.
Forget about Muslims....the guys over at freepervile would do it to liberals in a heartbeat.

[JDPriestly]

3. Of course -- it's primitive revenge. You are absolutely right.

And Obama is afraid to charge them with their crimes because he fears that they will then focus their primitive vengeful instincts on him -- as they did with Bill Clinton.

Obama shouldn't worry about charging these criminals. No matter what he does, the Republicans will focus their primitive vengeful instincts on him. That's just the way they are. That's the primitive, criminal, violent mind at work.

The best way to deal with criminals recognize that they are primitive, have little control over their feelings, is to acknowledge that neither cowering in fear of them nor matching their hostility will save you. Remain peaceful and rational, speak quietly and firmly. Don't flinch. Don't show fear. Remain reasonable. Respond to what is reasonable (if anything) in the criminal and show your respect for that reason. Recognize the criminal's legitimate needs, but not their criminal instincts. And realize that beyond that there really is not much you can do.

(of course, I am assuming that "you" are not in a position of absolute control over the criminal.)

The goal of the criminal, the goal of the person driven by a desire for revenge, regardless of their ideology, is to make you afraid. When they see you respond with fear, they fear powerful. That encourages them.

[MarjorieG]

4. An effort for Iraq-911 linkage, not gotten by conventional means. They had to get lies, claim truth.

[niyad]

5. that is how they get their rocks off, sadistic and cowardly little bastards that they are.

[Echo In Light]

6. May be for some. However, the PNAC group wanted this to further provoke communities

Which, at least in part, was why the horrors were filmed and distributed to locals - seeing their families tortured/raped is a good way to foment organization against US forces.

This is then further phony "war on terror" fodder for our mainstream media, as the locals uprising against US forces are strategically referred to as "terrorists," which is actually what the US forces are, and their victims merely fighting back.

[alfredo]

7. I see a very sadistic side to my conservative associates. They always default

to the violent solution.

[get the red out]

8. Exposure to conservative rhetoric

all the time produces a lot of rage. Talk radio has been using and honing that rage for a long time. The Bush administration was a bunch of pure authoritarians, Bush thinking he was working for God and Cheney who thinks he is God. And their followers get completely jacked up on the rage. Why else would Limbaugh and Co. still be pushing those buttons even when they see people running away from the Republicans like they all had the pig flu? Rage is addictive and their followers crave it once they experience it.

[Winterblues]

9. I think they truly believe it is better to be feared than loved and they behave in that manner.

They want to be scarey so the bad guys won't mess with the US but it just plain doesn't work that way. They create hatred and enemies with their attitude whether it is Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter or Dick Cheney and his foreign policy. It is unAmerican and certainly unChristian....IMHO

[Echo In Light]

10. Which is exactly why their ilk wrap their poison jive in patriotism and "christianity"