Consider your response to question #2 and please read the brief article on the link below: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/10/040510fa_fact
How do you think the global community views the United States in light of reports from Abu Ghraib? Were the United States soldiers justified in their use of torture at Abu Ghraib?
The central question for our Great Books inquiry this year is "What does it mean to be a moral Christian?". Please comment on the questions below. The first five respondents need only to answer the questions. All others must post their answers and respond to two (2) earlier posts.
It is nearly impossible to not find similarities between the Japanese POW camps and Abu Gharib. I feel that the global world would be deeply disturbed by these accounts at Abu Gharib and have a response similar, but less drastic, to that of the Holocaust. Although there was no specific mention of killing the prisoners, it is still inhumane to put them through torture in respects of their culture. The United States soldiers were not justified in their methods of torture and were disrespectful to a culture they do not understand. It is deeply disturbing that Americans can act so strongly to accounts of other countries’ cruelties, yet fail to realize their own wrongdoings. Thus, no person should be forced into torture that dehumanizes them.
ReplyDeleteI think the global community would see the American soldiers as ignorant people who have no respect for other people's culture or religion. They were not justified in their forms of torture, not only were they humiliating these people but purposely forcing them to do things that are strictly against their culture. Such treatment of American prisoners would have American people outraged, and because of that we have no right to treat any people in such a way. I do not believe any form of torture is justified but these acts were incredibly dehumanizing because of the prisoners culture. No acts so dehumanizing as these were should every be justified.
ReplyDeleteIt must be hard for the global community to see any good in our military system in light of these reports. The world must think of those soldiers as disrespectful and very rude. It is very hard to find any differences in what the US military did to the prisoners at Abu Gharib and the treatment of the POWs in the Japenese camps. The US also showed disrespect for the prisoner’s culture, as most of the torture went against religious and cultural beliefs. When American prisoners were treated in a dehumanizing way, Americans were very angry. If people of other cultures and nations are treated in a dehumanizing way, their nations and cultures will also be outraged. If Americans know the feeling, why do they inflict it upon other nations and cultures?
ReplyDeleteAs a result of these reports from Abu Gharib, the global community's view of the US would decline. Not only are the soldiers torturing the detainees, but they are also withholding basic human necessities such as adequate medical care from these detainees. While reading this article, there are obvious similiarites between Abu Gharib and Japanese POW camps during WWII, and the global community's reactions would also be very similar. Under no circumstances is such torture justified, especially in such a case where it defies religious and cultural beliefs.
ReplyDeleteAfter denouncing such inhumane treatment of American POWs by the Japanese, the world would now see the United States as a hypocritical and declining power ignorant of all outside cultures. The reports challenge not only the religious beliefs of Islam but also American values of liberty and freedom. The United States previously upheld a fairly honorable status, but these actions cross the line and deserve all the criticism that they receive. After falling victim to oppression of Great Britain in the 1700s, then the Axis powers in World War II, and later Vietnam and Korea, our country has witnessed enough torture to deem it as wrong and therefore, under no circumstances can the occurrences at Abu Gharib be justified.
ReplyDeleteThe global community must look at the United States in shock after these reports. How can our country, whose own soldiers were tortured at the hands of the Japanese during war, treat prisoners so horribly? Or perhaps the better question, as leaders did move to punish those who committed these acts, is how could our country try to keep it quiet? The very fact that we tried to cover it up, instead of publically denouncing those soldiers who did this does make us seem hypocritical as Caroline said. Emma stated how angry we were when our soldiers were humiliated. We should be even angrier that our soldiers acted this way! Justification of torture is impossible, especially in this case of Abu Ghraib.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the world's view on American would simply change to us being a hypocritical nation. We complained, we bombed, and we made the Japanese pay for what they did to our soldiers...and then we go off and use similar treatment against another nation. I agree with Emma when she says that it must be difficult to see America having any good of a military system after these reports. I also agree with Catherine when she talks about how the Americans did this because it was a culture they did not understand, but in this case, the ends do not justify the means.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the world will look poorly on the United States because of these reports. Our nation, who has experienced being the prisoners in this situation, is now unleashing these horrors onto others. Our soldiers were not justified in the use of torture at Abu Ghraib. I agree with Catherine S. when she said that this inhumane. Being intolerant of other nations cultures and religions is very hypocritical of a country that prides itself on being a melting pot and having a constitutional right to freedom of religion. I agree with Haley Hartzel when she says that these prisoners are being deprived of basic human needs. Our country is dehumanizing these people just like the Japanese did to Louie Zamperini in Unbroken. I am ashamed of country and the tragedies we caused in Abu Gharib.I feel that the world will look poorly on the United States because of these reports. Our nation, who has experienced being the prisoners in this situation
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing about the article, the global community would be in shock and have a new perspective on the United States. As Francesca said, the Americans would be looked at as a very hypocritical nation. The soldiers were not justified for their actions of inhumane behavior at Abu Ghraib.I agree with Claire Murphy as she states "Being intolerant of other nations' cultures and religions is very hypocritical of a country that prides itself on being a melting pot and having a constitutional right to freedom of religion."It is disturbing to sink down to the other country's levels of dehumanizing human beings by putting them in different concentration camps. If countries keep doing horrors like this, there would be no boundary and no place to know when to stop. The US should know the types of situations this causes for people, and they should not be apart of it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI believe the global community is just as shocked as I am to hear that United States soldiers are doing such despicable things to helpless prisoners. The soldiers had no right to torture those people and the fact that "Most of the prisoners, including women and teen-agers—were civilians" makes it much more uncalled for and cruel. The majority of these people were not terrorists and they were not keeping important military information from these soldiers. These people were not prowling the streets to kill Americans, so why did these soldiers find it necessary to treat them so poorly? Torture is never justifiable, especially when the victims are civilians. It is sickening to read about American soldiers committing these horrific crimes. I agree with Nora and Claire that our soldiers should have higher moral standards than to stoop down to torturing defenseless prisoners.
ReplyDeleteI think the global community would be ashamed and very disturbed by our soldiers in this instance. It was truly wrong and rude of them to purposefully disrespect the people’s culture like that and humiliate them just for their own enjoyment. After reading this article, it is obvious that the Japanese POW camps and Abu Ghraib have many similarities. I agree with Haley Hartzel when she says that this torture could never be justified, especially because it defies a religion and culture. I also agree with Emma W. when she says that if Americans know what it feels like to be treated unfairly, then why did the Americans treat others totally unfair? These acts of dehumanization are hard to look past for anyone, just as it is hard to look past the ways that POWs were treated in the Japanese POW camps.
ReplyDeleteMarisa Donato
Of course US soldiers were not justified in their use of torture. We recall the torture used by the Nazis and Japanese and WWII and look at this with disgust, so why, when we do the same, not look at these actions with disgust? I agree with Marisa Donato in her statement that the Japanes POW camps are similar to the Abu Gharib camp. This torture cannot and never will be able to be justified.
ReplyDeleteJulia Papanastou
As Catherine pointed out, the similarities seen between the Japanese POW camps and Abu Gharib are quite obvious. Prisoners were not receiving the humane treatment guaranteed to them by the Geneva Convention, and because of this, many suffered greatly. Furthermore, the United States challenged fundamental beliefs of Islam in their methods of torture; something we would be infuriated about if another country were to do to American prisioners. I agree with Caroline in saying that the actions taken by the United States Army in this situation causes the US to look ignorant and hypocritical. The actions taken by a select group of men and women has lowered the United States in the eyes of the Global Community through actions that we should all be ashamed of. There was no justification in these actions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Catherine when she states that this torture is very reminiscient of the torture in Japanese POW camps during World War II. The US was denying those people their guaranteed rights by torturing and humiliating them. This will obviously make other nations unhappy and even disgusted by our actions. The US was certainly not justified in torturing these people. Even though these detainees may be criminals, the US does not have the right to toruture them in this way. As Caroline points out, the US not only tortures and humiliates these people, but takes it a step further challenges their cultural beliefs against homosexuality. What the US did at Abu Ghraib was most certainly wrong and unjustified.
ReplyDeleteGo back about ten years ago, and yes the view of America was slipping but not necessarily because of the events at Abu Ghraib. The war in Iraq itself did not sit well with other nations so already the world’s outlook on America was declining. Also, I believe that the world has a short memory. Yes, if one had polled the world right after the events of Abu Ghraib surfaced the view of America would probably be one of disgust, but in a year of twos time I believe that other events would overshadow these. According to a Pew Research Center survey, in 2012 72% of Japanese people had a favorable view of the United States, and so did 52% of German (http://security.blogs.cnn.com). On the other hand, four in six of the predominantly Muslim countries hold negative view of the United States (http://globalpublicsqua re.blogs.cnn.com). This only makes sense because just as much as America is at war with them, they are at war with America. I believe that immediately following the events of Abu Ghraib the world’s view of America would have been one of negativity, but now after almost ten years I would say that the world has forgotten or at least moved on especially considering that I have never heard of Abu Ghraib up until reading this article. Now, in regards to whether the American soldiers were justified in their use of torture, I first believe that a distinction must be made between the tortures and dehumanizing. I believe that the sexual means US soldiers were using on their prisoners was completely unjustified and unnecessary. Catharine S. stated that the US soldiers “were disrespectful to a culture they do not understand”, and I would say that she is correct. However, I believe that the author of the article gives the US soldiers too much credit. I do not think that those men and women sought out means that would disrespect the people’s culture; rather they just resorted to ways that they believed would offend any person, regardless of culture. Emma also stated, “It is very hard to find any differences in what the US military did to the prisoners at Abu Gharib and the treatment of the POWs in the Japanese camps.” I would have to disagree because the events that occurred at Abu Ghraib were brought about by a lack of central authority and organization along with the abuse of power. However, the treatment of POWS at Japanese camps was highly purposeful and organized. Never have I heard of the Americans comprising a plan to kill all of their prisoners of war before they were to be rescued like the Japanese had planned. Also, I would say that using means of torture on susceptible prisoners to retrieve information that may protect our country from future attacks is not necessarily unjustified. Although unfortunate that these events occurred, I think that America has proven to be more than the actions taken by a handful of US soldiers. No other occurrences such as these at Abu Ghraib have surfaced, and I think it would be a shame if America’s image were to be tainted because of one event.
ReplyDeleteI think the Americans would be looked, similar to how the Japanese were seen as. Soldiers who don't care about other peoples cultures or religions. People must be shocked at how harsh our military was to our prisoners considering the fact that thousands of our soldiers were in such harsh conditions while being captured by the japanese.The very fact that we tried to cover it up, instead of publically denouncing those soldiers who did this does make us seem hypocritical as Caroline said.I agree with Max when he said Torture is never justifiable, especially when the victims are civilians. It is sickening to read about American soldiers committing these horrific crimes.
ReplyDeleteUpon reading this unsettling article, I concluded that the American soldiers could not possibly justify their actions at Abu Ghraib. The actions were uncivil, appalling, and disgraceful to this nation. The soldiers not only mistreated the captives but they also humiliated them. The acts were immoral and unjust and should have been dealt with accordingly. Furthermore, I believe that the global community lost some respect for our soldiers but not our country. They know that America is the "brightest beacon of hope and opportunity in this world" and that our government would never condone that behavior. With this in mind, I find it very hard to believe that the government sanctioned these actions as stated by a soldier's attorney. I also find it very hard to believe that the "New Yorker" obtained a highly-classified 53 page document from the Defense Department. Therefore, I say with full belief that this incident was not nearly as bad as those in the Japanese POW camp. I agree with Sarah Young when she says that a kill-all order would never be given in an American camp thus deeming Abu Ghraib less significant as Japanese POW camps. I respectfully disagree with Gabrielle when she says that we tried to cover this up because we actually began proceedings to bring justice to the offenders.
ReplyDeleteIn light of the accounts from Abu Ghraib the global community must view the United States as hypocritical. For instance, we had war criminals hunted down in Japan to pay reparations for their mental and physical abuse of prisoners yet our fellow peers and citizens carry out the same torture on others years later. This just goes to show the lack of education about prisoners of war such as Louis because ignorance is the only explanation for this crude behavior. The United States soldiers were not justified to deteriorate the dignity and culture of their prisoners. In the end they humiliated themselves and also damaged their own dignity in the process. I agree with Haley Hartzel when she says that these prisoners are being deprived of basic human needs just like Louis. How can the world possibly trust each other to follow laws such as the Geneva Convention when countries that have suffered from abuse dish out the same treatment? It goes to prove that morals are severely lacking in these situations. In the end I support Max’s statement that this is overall shocking news to hear. US soldiers are supposed to represent each and every citizen and devote their lives to the welfare of America, not act foolishly at another’s expense. – Elle Zadina
ReplyDeleteThe Global Community responded swiftly and vigorously to the horrific incidents that occurred in Abu Ghraib. A name once only associated with a crazed despot is now synonymous with US brutality and humiliation. The cruel and despicable acts of a few inept and sadistical prison guards branded the United States as tortures and barbarians. The world was rightly appalled by such grotesque and unbelievably cruel actions committed by members of the United States Army. The men and women who committed these heinous acts had absolutely no rights in doing so. The whole reason Abu Ghraib was remodeled was to make sure inmates were treated with respect and courtesy, not to have them perform lewd sex acts on one another. The United States did the right thing by taking responsibility for the actions committed by a few deranged service members but should not have been condemned all together. The events that took place at Abu Ghraib were in no way shape or form approved of by the US government. I agree with Will Lederer and Sarah Young when they state that even though the actions taken by certain soldiers at Abu Ghraib were absolutely horrid and sick ,it pales in comparison to the cruelty shown by the Japanese guards to Allied inmates during World War Two.
ReplyDeleteThe global community sees the actions of the United States as ignorant and disrespectful along with being unjust. Their actions humiliated the prisoners and also took their pride from them. The United States should be ashamed for their actions to the prisoners at Abu Gharib which certainly have some comparison to the cruelty and ignorance of the Japanese guards during WWII. I agree with Tom that these dehumanizing acts should not be justified ever. I agree with Claire when she says that the world will look poorly on the United States after they themselves were in POW situations.
ReplyDelete-Michael Brien
Unfortunately, the actions at Abu Gharib are ones that have been seen and done by almost every nation at some point. They point to an inherent tendency for human beings to humiliate and dehumanize one another when in a power position. Although this has been seen before countless times throughout history, this could not have been a more inopportune time for the United States. With the controversial war in Iraq and the poor opinion of America in the Middle East/extremist groups, Abu Gharib cemented the bad opinion and gave justification for it. I do not think the soldiers were justified in their treatment of the prisoners. No human being deserves to be put in situations that humiliating and horrible. As Americans, we have a duty to uphold the freedom of others. However, the acts committed there direct oppose that belief and endanger the basic rights of man. I agree with Sarah Young that the acts pale in comparison to the Japanese, but just barely. That is not at all a justification for what was done and the two are so inherently similar with their use of humiliation/torture, that Abu Gharib could have been on its way to rivaling those camps.
ReplyDelete--Katherine Cienkus
I think that the global community must believe that the United States are ignorant and inhumane based off of the reports. Not only were the US soldiers physically harming their prisoners, but also were taking away their dignity and forcing them to go against their religion. As Catherine explained the US was disrespectful to a culture that they did not understand. The dehumanizing treatment at Abu Ghraib clearly mirrors the treatment that Louis Zamperini faced in the Japanese POW camps in Unbroken. This parallel also exposes the US as being hypocritical as Elle explained. After WWII was over years were spent tracking down Japanese war criminals that had committed heinous crimes at the prisoner of war camps. However, these crimes are similar to the ones committed at Abu Ghraib. If the crimes were so horrible that Japanese officers were sentenced to death why would the same behavior be repeated. I believe that the treatment at Abu Ghraib was in no way justified. “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
ReplyDeleteFrancesca is correct when she states that, “the world's view on American would simply change to us being a hypocritical nation.” After seeing how poorly American POW’s were treated at Japanese camps it is completely wrong and inhumane of us to go and do the same to our POW’s. I also agree with Max that the global community must be shocked to hear that American soldiers are treating prisoners this poorly. There is no reason for such treatment and it reflects on our entire nation.
ReplyDeleteBased on the action of the soldiers in the Abu Ghraib situation, the global community would think wrongly of the American military. As Michael and Ryan pointed out, the actions of those few soldiers are comparable to those of the Japanese guards of the POW camps. Not only did both parties attack their prisoners physically, but also psychologically. The Japanese guards would routinely try to break the will of their prisoners, like is Louis Zamperini's case, and at Abu Ghraib, the American soldiers forced their prisoners to do actions that went against their strict religious beliefs. As to whether the actions by those few American soldiers are just or not, that is a very controversial issue. Personally, I feel that it was not just and went against the rules of the Geneva Convention.
ReplyDeletefrom Abu Ghraib. These reports talk about dehumanizing the prisoners by threatening them, taking offensive pictures, beating them, and other unforgivable actions. The behaviors of the United States soldiers are very similar to the Japanese generals who headed the POW camps. Both the US and Japanese authorities believe that they are helping their country by showing the prisoners that they are the dominate force, but these actions are cruel and unjustified. These actions are unjustified because the prisoners are not all soldiers. In fact most the inhabitants are just innocent civilians, which makes the torture even more unjustified. I agree with John that it is completely wrong of us to go do to someone else what we experienced and hated in WWII. I also agree with Mark that at the Abu Ghraib prisons, the Americans not only tortured them physically but also psychologically.
ReplyDeletePeople of other countries probably look at American soldiers and think of them as cruel and disrespectful. I agree with Tommy when he said they are shown as people who have no respect for other people’s culture or religion. Also the global community probably doesn’t have as much respect for our country and is probably scared by these actions. I agree with Emma when she says that it’s hard to look at America’s military in a good light after reading about these stories. I can’t help but compare these American soldiers to the Japanese soldiers that guarded the POW camps in World War II. It’s shocking to me that anyone from our country would do such a thing after seeing what happened to some of our own POWs from past wars. I don’t think these soldiers were justified at all because this is a serious offense not only in other countries but also America. These actions are a horrible reflection of America’s military. The article emphasizes the stories in Unbroken and how horrible it is to dehumanize a person in this manner.
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing the reports from Abu Ghraib, I believe the global community would look down upon the United States military. I agree with Francesca that other nations would view the United States as being very hypocritical. The United States is supposed to be above the use of torture as we are a dominate global force and preach equality and civil rights. I agree with Nora’s statement that if we continue to commit disturbing crimes such as these, it sends the wrong message to the world and these injustices will only continue.
ReplyDeleteI think that the global community is disgusted with the United States' actions at Abu Ghraib. They must view our soldiers as ignorant, inhumane, disrespectful, and abusive people. I do not believe that the soldiers actions were justified in any way. They tortured the prisoners by forcing them to do things that went against their religious beliefs and by humiliating them in front of each other. This kind of torture stripped away the dignity of the prisoners in Abu Ghraib, similar to the kind of torture at the Japanese POW camps that we read about in Unbroken. These actions will never be justified. I agree with Morgan Lyons when she said that both the US and Japanese soldiers believe that they are helping their country by showing these acts of power, but in the end, it hurts our country. I also agree with Mark when he said that the Americans were torturing the prisoners physically and psychologically, just like in the POW camps.
ReplyDeleteAs many others have said, I am sure that the global community was both surprised and appalled at the inhumane treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. There is never justification for dehumanizing and torturing another human being, and the fact that Americans were the perpetrators in this instance makes us huge hypocrites. However unfortunate, I do agree with Katherine though that this kind of thing probably happens more often than we think, to different extents of course, but is nonetheless unacceptable behavior. I think the kind of torture at Abu Ghraib is a little bit different from the actions of the Japanese because it is mostly emotional, meaning to humiliate the prisoners by targeting their beliefs. The Japanese, it seems, went for both physical and emotional forms of torture. I don't believe that either the Japanese or the Americans had the right to attack their prisoners.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe crimes that were committed at Abu Gharib were both horrible and unjustified. Things such as this have been seen all over the world especially in times of war. I agree with Brian Musolf that these crimes were not as serious as those that were committed at the the POW camps they were still inhumane and uncalled for. Our country was founded on the idea that all men are created equal and actions such as those committed at Abu Gharib do not uphold these ideas. The crimes committed at Abu Gharib put the U.S in a very bad light and caused people to question just the principles that define our country- freedom and liberty for all
ReplyDeleteI think that, in light of the horrific events that occurred at Abu Ghraib, the rest of the world is probably shocked at and disappointed in the US. With great power comes great responsibility and, in this case, our nation failed to uphold its values, not to mention its laws. Those in charge of the situation were obviously not capable of handling it; in turning to insult and humiliation, they disrespected an entire culture and stripped human beings of their dignity, in a similar way that the Japanese hurt the POWs. I believe that torture is never justified, no matter what the circumstances may be, because it is unethical, illegal, and counterproductive, as is pointed out in the article: “…the use of force or humiliation with prisoners is invariably counterproductive. ‘They’ll tell you what you want to hear, truth or no truth,’ Rowell said. ‘ “You can flog me until I tell you what I know you want me to say.” You don’t get righteous information.’” In addition, “…more than sixty per cent of the civilian inmates at Abu Ghraib were deemed not to be a threat to society, which should have enabled them to be released.” Torture goes against human nature. Period. I like Lucy’s Mahatma Gandhi quote: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” It may be difficult, but I think we should all strive not to seek revenge, but to forgive. Gandhi was a clever man with wits. I agree with Katherine C. that the Japanese POW camps were more severe than the Abu Ghraib military prison, but only just barely. They have a lot in common—injustice is injustice, no matter what, and we should learn from history, so that it doesn’t repeat itself. -Karina de Hueck
ReplyDeleteThere is no question that there were crimes committed at Abu Ghraib. Some American officers are guilty of torture and abuse, while others simply let what they saw happen. Regardless, human being were being treated unfairly, abused, humiliated, tortured. Though the severity of this mistreatment does not equal that of the Japanese POW camps in WWII, the fact of the matter is that Abu Ghraib needed reform and obviously new officials needed to take over. Intolerance was certainly present in that prison, with American officials forcing their foreign prisoners into a state of degradation by ignoring cultural differences and forcing them to betray their way of life through humiliating acts. It is alarming and disappointing that even in the twenty-first century such cruelty and crimes against human nature could be committed, especially by officials from America, the pinnacle of freedom and democracy. Undoubtedly, as the most powerful country in the world, the US must have brought disappointment to all people of the world. Other nations must have been disappointed and angry because of America’s failures at Abu Ghraib. I do not believe the US soldiers were justified in the way they treated their prisoners or their crossing of a cultural line. It was truly upsetting that they kept such a large number of innocent civilians in a prison with international terrorists, without even having charges to charge some of the civilian prisoners with. I do not believe anybody would be justified in treating any group of people the way these US soldiers treated the Iraqi prisoners. I strongly agree with Caroline Hughes when she says that what the soldiers did challenged Islamic religious beliefs as well as compromised American values of freedom and liberty.
ReplyDeleteIt pains me to learn that history has repeated itself in the Abu Ghraib prison. Like Brian Mulsof said, although the crimes committed at Abu Ghraib aren't quite as extreme as some of the crimes bought upon the POWs, it sickens me to know that the Americans didn't learn anything from mistreatment in WWII, and are now preying on another group of people just like their former enemies did to them. No act of torture such as this is justifiable, but people are human, and sometimes their pride gets the best of them. The soldiers most likely wanted to express their dominance over the criminals and subjugated them to humiliating acts of cruelty to feel superior. Although humans are prone to make mistakes, it is still up to them to realize our wrongdoings and treat all people with respect, whether they are friend or foe.
ReplyDelete-Annie Lyons
I felt embarrassed as I read this article. It is very humiliating to know that our country was responsible for such acts. I am sure many countries see the USA as arrogant and disrespectful. Of course these accusations are not true as a whole but it is in instances like this where these accusations could prove to be true. I do not blame other countries for thinking lesser of the US after reading about Abu Ghraib. Especially because the people who ran the prison had nothing to justify their means. I agree with Catherine S when she says that, "it is inhumane to put them through torture in respects of their culture" Some of the most irreversible injuries are psychological ones and the people who ran this prison should be ashamed for how damaged they could make these prisoners feel. I also agree with Tommy when he said, "I think the global community would see the American soldiers as ignorant people who have no respect for other people's culture or religion." Not only was the US military cruel to these prisoners but they were extremely disrespectful to their culture and their various beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI think that the global community would look with shame upon America. The US was not only cruel to these prisoners but they also took away their dignity by torturing them and making them feel like less than a person. They showed no respect for peoples culture or religion which is the worst part because America is known for being a free country where people can express their various beliefs and cultures freely.
ReplyDeleteI believe that under no circumstances is Abu Ghirab justified. Torture is torture, regardless of cultural or religious barriers. The American soldiers most likely knew what they were doing. I agree with Caroline Hughes when she said that it can be viewed as hypocritical of us. The world view of the US will definitely be negative because of this, because we have set a standard for ourselves as being a country established on pride, rights, and freedom. This exact shows the exact opposite, and probably scarred the minds of the prisoners. It was embarrassing to read about, as Tommy Borah said. I really couldn't believe our soldiers would do something awful like that.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the global community would look down upon America because of the treatment of prisons at Abu Ghraib. Not only is this treatment wrong but it tarnishes America's reputation as a whole. Like Tommy Borah said it makes Americans look arrogant and disrespectful. Not only is this type of torture humiliating but also dehumanizing because it violates these peoples' customs and culture. As Michael said America is a free country and it should stand by this belief even over seas. As Brian Muslof said "I do not believe the US soldiers were justified in the way they treated their prisoners or their crossing of a cultural line." There is never a justification for torture, and especially with education of events such as the holocaust it should be clear that no one should ever undergo such repression. It is shameful to think that Americans are still naive about the value of freedom and dignity; two rights that are at the roots of our nation.
ReplyDeleteThe treatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib is completely unjustified and unacceptable. War is not an excuse to dehumanize and torture individuals. If, however ironically, the goal of war is peace, mistreatment like at Abu Ghraib is utterly immoral. As Mark Bredemann said, it appears American officials tortured Iraqi prisoners both physically and psychologically, with complete disrespect for Iraqi culture. While these acts committed by those individuals at Abu Ghraib are not indicative of the entire American population, it is understandable that the global community would look down on America because of those particular human beings. As Julia Hagen stated, having been witness to monstrous oppression worldwide, all Americans should be hyperaware to never fall into Nazi-like practices, or anything reminiscent of what Zamperini went through at POW camps. It is shameful that there are Americans who would not be, especially in the military.
ReplyDeleteThese crimes are unacceptable worldwide. These prisoners and many people who have this article may have a storng feeling of hate or anger towards the united state. But as a country, we have had these feeling towards other countries. It is a sad fact of life that often the cruel and non-sensible acts of one individual define a group. The Japanese and Germans still suffer hate and judgement for what occured during World War II.As stated by Grace, war is no reason to dehumanize indivuals.Though many people in the world realize this, there are certain people who never learn from mistakes. They do not think of the impression they are not only leaving of themselves, but also of who they are respresenting. In the case of war, these criminals represent and entire coutry, and their crimes are what create a continuous circle of hate towards one another. I agree with Tommy Borah this article was truthfully embarrasing to read. To know that some senseless person is portraying the US in such a horrific way. I hope the military finds a responsible way to change the scarring image of the US.
ReplyDeleteAmid the Jerusalem trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in the early 1960s, Stanley Milgram conducted in conjunction with Yale University his now-famous shock experiment, which aimed to see how far a person will proceed in a situation in which he or she is ordered to inflict increasing pain on a protesting victim. The study, which analyzed more than a thousand participants, called for a “teacher”, the focus of the experiment under obligatory pressure from an “experimenter”, to inflict increasingly painful shocks on a “learner” whenever the latter incorrectly answered a simple memory-based question. Stunningly, nearly two-thirds of those tested obeyed instructions to the extent that the learner -- an actor who actually experienced no shock -- feigned extreme physical agony. Effectively, the study concludes that ordinary people can become catalysts of destruction when faced with the proposition of disobeying authority. This point echos the sentiment proposed by the attorneys of Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick: superiors’ urgings and not some sadistic thrill propelled the six soldiers of Abu Ghraib to torture. In parallel, Hillenbrand references the ulterior motive beneath the Quack’s ostensible monstrous insanity as forging a reputable identity to gain advancement in the hierarchical Japanese military. The banality of evil explains how a mandated obedience elicited abhorrent actions by procuring the vice within the suspected criminals. But if the central question of our Great Books inquiry this year is “What does it mean to be a moral Christian?” then, yes, we must recognize the actions of the American soldiers as despicable torture. Furthermore, torture does not, as Sarah Young claims, exist in varying degrees, which explains why our sympathies resonate so quickly in any event of human degradation and why the American soldiers’ actions are no less disturbing or justifiable. This issue exacerbates the United States’ ongoing struggle to present itself as a force for good in this sphere of the world. While the global community may wag its collective fingers at the US for being hypocritical, heartless, and a thousand other things we are not, the guilt should not and cannot fall squarely on the these soldiers’ shoulders. There exists a deeper psychological reality that must be understood before outwardly condemning those who have volunteered their lives to stand on a wall to ensure a free America remains, as Will Lederer so poetically recites, the "brightest beacon of hope and opportunity in this world."
ReplyDeleteI think that the global community is probably all over this story saying that the United States are the worst and absolutely terrible. However, I am almost certain that if you look into the torture and interrogation in all other countries you will find that there really isn't much of a difference other than the fact that we were caught. People will find any reason to hate someone or a group of people because they can and it draws attention away from any imperfections of their own. I don't think that torture and interrogation are necessary unless there is immediate threat or if they are certain there is important information being withheld.It is very likely that there were indeed people who should not have been tortured in that group of people and I find it disturbing that the soldiers were enjoying their suffering. I disagree with Grace I believe that if several people could die it is worth the temporary cease of moral obligations.The same can be said as my response to Olivia. Yes, torture is definitely wrong but so is the mass murder of people. If torturing one guilty person can save the lives of several innocent people then not only is it acceptable to me, but expected.
ReplyDelete