Marquel, TPVs NYTimes This Won’t Hurt A Bit Section correspondent, was walking on needles, when he read Psychologists Shielded U.S. Torture Program, Report Finds.
The facts were complicated because not only did the shrinks approve torture, then they had the ethics committee change the rules so it wouldn’t be torture, then they went into business together to administer torture, then treat its consequences, then allowed the department of defense to stack the deck with its own shrinks to approve all the arrangements.
Marquel honestly didn’t know which was worse and who cares, there was no contest to be the most unethical, just tacit agreement that they could do whatever they wanted. This was something requiring a bit of research, which they always demand in journalism school, where Marquel never went.
Marquel sat down with the head of the psychological association. “How did you get a psychologist to say that drowning somebody is not torture.” He asked.
“Well it’s a whole lot more complicated than it seems. People drown all the time. We don’t say they’re tortured.”
“But…” I interrupted. He talked right through me.
“And remember it’s just water. Would you rather be beaten with a stick or with water out of a hose? See? Next, there was always a psychologist present. We insisted. If the subject has bad memories of his family, had been abused as a child, was having trouble sleeping, we were there to help. So you see, we were there as professionals. And when it was over, we were there to assure him it was over and we’d be with him tomorrow. If that’s not ethics I don’t know what is.” The shrink said.
“Even if what you’re saying has some validity, don’t you understand your presence legitimized an international war crime? Don’t you think if you had rejected the government’s approaches, they might have thought twice and been reluctant to proceed?” I asked.
“Who can predict the past. Most of us were asked to start companies to conduct the interrogations. My company cleared three million a year, and that went all to my wife and myself. Certainly for my own psychological good this was a boon. I couldn’t make that much in ten years of therapy.” He said.
“And that’s important because now we’re talking about your psychogical well-being?” I asked.
“Certainly it’s important for the therapist to be fairly well grounded and happy, wouldn’t you agree” he asked.
“That brings up an interesting point. In today’s report, the CIA became convinced that having psychologists torture people was okay because ‘the psychologist has an obligation to (a) group of individuals, such as the nation.’ “
“Very true.” He said.
“As if,” I retorted. “You surely know the psychological field has trouble expanding therapy even to a couple. It’s never okayed a psychologist’s duty to a group, let alone a whole fucking nation. The sole principle driving psychological ethics is how to square practicalities with your recognized, and I would say, sacred, duty to the individual patient. This is simply horseshit, a psychologists duty to a nation. There is not and never had been such a thing!” I exclaimed.
“I respectfully disagree.” He said.
“Respect had nothing to do with it. So when you’re sitting next to this drowning guy, your patient isn’t him, but the nation. You’re treating the nation. How exactly are you doing that?” I asked.
“If you’re asking how I was helping protect the nation, you don’t deserve an answer.” He said.
“Somehow in doing that you were increasing the psychological well-being of the entire nation?” I asked him.
They were safer from terrorism.” He said.
“You don’t know that and that’s the armed forces job. You did nothing for us psychologically.” I complained.
“You’re ignoring that several of us established separate companies to treat the victims later.” He argued.
“So you got them coming and going.” I protested.
“All paid for by the DoD. Another three million a year.” He said.
“So whether torture works or not, it is surely profitable.” I summarized.
“I’d agree that’s the bottom line.” He concurred.
I had a feeling that torture shouldn’t have a bottom line, but the Pentagon and CIA feel otherwise.
***
By MARQUEL: It’s Only Water
Splendid article.
Pure fuquel
Perfect pitch
ditto
Ditto2
Like always, Marquel takes the bull by the horns.