What level of torture is acceptable?

This topic has been on my radar for some time. Why? Because my wife's (I have recently gotten married) son has joined the army. He graduates from basic training next week. Who knows? By this time next year he could be headed to ... war.

I don't really know the young man, but I can assure you my wife does. There's no doubt how she feels about the war, and about the possibility of his capture and subsequent mistreatment at the hands of "the enemy". I can't stress more urgently or in more compelling words why we should be taking the moral high road than when it comes to the current debate over what "agressive interrogation techniques" should be allowed, and which should not. Commentator Cenk Uygur may not be an appropriate conservative voice for you, but his words should still mean something.

I am going to quote his post here in its entirety.

The United States Congress is currently debating how we should treat our detainees. The question is what level of "interrogation" is acceptable. What they're really talking about is what level of torture is acceptable. But let's put aside that obvious fact for a second and take them at their word. Let's assume they are just talking about cruel and degrading treatment.

Newsweek has already reported the seven different techniques the CIA has asked permission to use (plus waterboarding, which they have already used but apparently is negotiable). These techniques include slapping detainees around, exposing them to extreme temperatures (clothing optional), throwing water down their nose until they think they're drowning, making them go through extended hours of standing and sleep deprivation. No big deal, right? The terrorists had it coming.

The only problem is that whatever we agree is acceptable interrogation tactics, we obviously have to accept can also be done to our troops when they are captured. It's one thing when we tell other countries to treat our soldiers by the Geneva Conventions when we are following them, it's another to say that when we are not. As Colin Powell tried to explain, we would have lost our moral standing.

This is the point when conservatives start screaming about how terrorists cut people's heads off. Yes, congratulations, you win -- you are slightly better than Al Qaeda. Maybe that should be the slogan of the Republicans supporting the White House position on "tougher interrogations" -- Republicans: Slightly Better than the Terrorists.

Everybody understands that some of the people who capture our soldiers will not listen to any rules. And yes, they do hideous things. I thought we were fighting them to protect our way of life, which involves not doing hideous things. But what is also true is that some of the people who capture our men and women in the future will not be unconstrained. They will do unto us as we have we have done unto others.

If they strip our soldiers naked, put them in a nearly freezing room, slap them around and nearly drown them -- we will now be saying to the world, we are okay with that. We find that to be an acceptable way to interrogate detainees.

The American people must understand what they are signing off on. If Bush and his Republican yes-men in Congress win, we will be giving the green light to anyone who captures our soldiers to humiliate, degrade and physically abuse them. Are we really okay with that?

I don't know about you, but the thought that someone would do that to a US soldier turns my stomach. To say that's acceptable seems reprehensible. Please don't tell me that the party pretending to support the troops is the one selling them out like this. These guys should never talk about the troops again. They are willing to let them suffer inhuman degradations for their political convenience.

And let's get real about what this is about. This isn't about the CIA, this is about CYA. The Bush administration is trying to cover their ass for all the terrible and illegal things they have already done. And if some of our troops have to suffer for it, it appears to be of absolutely no concern to them.

I'm not comfortable with that. And I hope to God you aren't either.