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Defining Torture Down (Every policy the left dislikes becomes a crime against humanity)
The Weekly Standard ^ | 3/25/2013 | WESLEY J. SMITH

Posted on 03/25/2013 1:52:31 AM PDT by markomalley

Now they are defining “torture” down. “They” in this instance are the international community in general and the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, the Argentine human rights activist Juan E. Méndez, in particular. 

Méndez—whose full title is “special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”—just released a report to the General Assembly on torture “in health care settings.” It is a startling read. He brands with that extreme term not only medical actions and omissions that clearly are not torture as most people understand it, but also national policies disfavored by the international ruling class. Thus, “The Committee against Torture has repeatedly expressed concerns about restrictions on access to abortion and about absolute abortion bans as violating the prohibition on torture and ill treatment.” Unstated (but implied) is that pro-life countries like Ireland are committing crimes against humanity.

Torture, however, has a specific definition. According to the U.N.’s Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, it means

any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he .  .  . has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him .  .  . or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.



TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: moralabsolutes

1 posted on 03/25/2013 1:52:31 AM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley

If you assume that anything the UN does is a way to attack America or Israel, it all starts to make sense.


2 posted on 03/25/2013 2:16:22 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows (You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
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To: markomalley

Of course, shredding babies in the womb doesn’t count. (/s)


3 posted on 03/25/2013 2:16:38 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)
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To: Slings and Arrows
If you assume that anything the UN does is a way to attack America or Israel, it all starts to make sense.

You can bet that lack of free, single payer health care and lack of carbon taxes will be classified as torture, within the next three years, by the UN. De-fund, kick-out and withdraw from it. No more foreign aid of any kind, anywhere.

How do you like me now, UN?
4 posted on 03/25/2013 4:12:51 AM PDT by 98ZJ USMC
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To: markomalley

Reminds me of the firesign theater spoof on Japanese detective movies translated into bad English. When Young Guy, Private Detective is admonishing people for arguing with him he shouts, “NOT TO BE TORTURING ME!”

But this stuff in the article can be summed up in the phrase, “Me thinks thou doth protest too much.”


5 posted on 03/25/2013 4:35:24 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: markomalley

One supposes that shredding millions of “non-viable tissue masses”, in the wombs of humans, is not a crime against humanity?

Just supposing.

IMHO


6 posted on 03/25/2013 4:38:34 AM PDT by ripley
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To: markomalley

Liberals love evil and hate good. Everything is up-side-down. What is good is evil and what is evil is good.

Americans should not be following them into the fire of horrifying consequences. At the national level nor at the personal level should any American be following the leader of the herd right now.

But how do you warn people without be called an extremist who is out of touch with liberalism’s “cool”? If we fail to grab Americans from going over the cliff of stupidity and evil, in order to be named “mainstream”, I think we are committing a sin.

Never give up. Never give in. Hold the place of sanity, love and success. Hold the place of freedom.


7 posted on 03/25/2013 1:43:24 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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