A question that comes to mind when considering this torture issue is the motivation.  What was the purpose of torturing these people?  On the one hand, we are told it was to obtain information.  On the other hand, it seems it was purely a sadistic pleasure being provided by chronicling the detail of torture and recording videos of the events for others to share.  So what do we learn from the "Torture Memos"?  What I am pondering is that the people involved were either thrilled with hearing and seeing what was being done to these people, or they met the definition of insanity in a fairly classic sense.

Dick Cheney told us the information obtained was critical to our defense, but no one has ever provided a shred of evidence whatsoever as to what that information was.  There is not a single instance of our learning something that changed our actions because of what a victim had revealed as a result of torture.  If anyone has an example, please provide same. 

What we do have are intricately detailed descriptions of what techniques were being used and the existence of videos for the viewing pleasure of others.  Many of these videos were destroyed.  I have no interest in seeing these videos.  They display a truly revolting human behavior that needs to be expunged from society, not perpetuated.  I am not intrigued by the gruesome written accounts of torture either.  But I do notice that in these memos there is more a focus on what was being done to these people then a focus on what "information" was being obtained.

This is the insane part to which I am directing my post, aside from the deplorable acts being committed, which I feel are maniacal in their own rite, the program seems to be a case of people repeating the same behaviors and expecting a different result.  This is even more disturbing because we have researched the matter sufficiently to know the "information" provided ias a result of torture s worthless.  But they did it anyway. 

For some reason, these tortureres were sure they were right and the studies were wrong.  So they tried body slams, nothing; stess positions, nothing;  exposing them naked to women, nothing;  insects inside a containment box, nothing, and even waterboading, nothing.  It begs the question, what else were they going to try to see if they could get information with torture?  That answer can only be left up to their imagination, which appears to be what this entire loathesome performance was really about, fantasies. 

One action was tried with no result, and then another, and another.  When does a person not say, these painful inquisitions are not working, we should try something else?  When that person is obtaining the results they wish, a sadistic pleasure, under the guise of seeking information, and national defense.  When the goal is simply to develop new and titillating ways to inflict pain and anxiety on another person and make videos of same.  If we have knowledge that the stated goals of obtaining information as a result of torture will not be obtained, that only leaves the proposition that this was done for enjoyment, in which case, that result was achieved.  Mission Accomplished!