Comments on: French Television Demonstrates Cheney Effect

By: MonsieurGonzo

MonsieurGonzo — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:16:15 +0000

Good point, Mary. fwiw, I was thinking more about the aspect of "no moral hazard," or consequences, apparent ~ rather than the extent of feedback between the oppressed and her oppressor. I think that the most interesting aspect of Milgram is the implication that "individuals tend to over-ride their own moral circuit breakers when they are (A) acting within a group dynamic = implied authority; or (B) acting in response to a direct order = an explicit authority."

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:43:16 +0000

So what's wrong with this? Seems like we have a great place to try Vp Cheney and Pres. Bush (et. al).

Think Gen. Powell or Armitage be willing to sit on the administrating side of the experiment? If there isn't a court in the US willing to listen to war crime lawsuits, send the parties to France for this TV show.

If someone is in favor of waterboarding, they should be willing to show that they can sit through it too!

No love lost for the administration that tortured in our name.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:27:02 +0000

Drones provide distance and allow one a disconnect.

Milgram's most shocking discovery was that the torture would continue in the face of the victim's screams of pain, pleading, claiming he was ill and could die, etc.

You know, just like at Guantanamo.

By: MonsieurGonzo

MonsieurGonzo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:27:16 +0000

fwiw I find it interesting that so few people connect The Milgram Experiment with remotely-operated military drones.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:58:52 +0000

.
but I vas just following der orders, nicht ?
.

By: Charles Davis

Charles Davis — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:52:56 +0000

Juan,

Please don't pretend that the Republicans hold a monopoly on unethical voters when Democrats in Congress are overwhelmingly in favor of Obama's war in Afghanistan and his civilian-killing drone strikes in Pakistan (and let's not forget that top Democrats like Speaker Pelosi were well aware of torture during the Bush administration). Both parties, it seems, are quite fine with the idea of torturing and killing innocents abroad if they think it can help them at the polls.