Physical Torture - Essay Example

?Original Texts: Kenneth Pope (http kspope.com/torvic/torture-abst.php) Although all forms of physical torture are likely to have psychological aspects and consequences, some forms of torture are primarily psychological in nature. For example, people may be forced to watch family or friends being tortured, may be given false reports about the torture, death, or betrayal of loved ones, or may be told that they are about to be executed (sometimes followed by a fake execution, in which, e.g., an unloaded gun is held to the person's head and the trigger pulled). Victims of torture may be told that no one remembers them or cares, and that if they survive, no one will believe them. The psychological aspects of torture may range from the seeming inevitability of a fixed routine (e.g., the dread of interrogation and physical torture at set times each day) to an inability to anticipate what will happen next. Jacobo Timerman, editor and publisher of the Argentinean newspaper La Opinion until his arrest by the military, emphasized the agonizing unpredictability of his years in prison in his book Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number: "[W]henever someone was being prepared for transfer, his eyes blindfolded, his hands tied behind him, thrown on the ground in the back of a car and covered with a blanket, he would have preferred to remain in the clandestine prison. You never knew whether you were being led to an interrogation, torture, death, or another prison . . . " (p. 159). Some of the cruelest techniques of psychological torture are those that appear to make the person an active participant. The person may be told to choose which of two family members, friends, or other fellow prisoners should be tortured or put to death. The person may be directed to undress and use the torture devices on him- or herself. The person may be commanded to reveal the names or locations of individuals whom the torturers want to capture; failure to reveal the information will result in the torture and death of fellow prisoners. The person may be forced to participate actively in the torture of others. The person may be asked what form of torture he prefers, or where on his or her body the torture should begin, or which piece of the body the person can most easily do without. The person may be lead to make false and damaging statements in writing or while being videotaped. Wallace-Hadrill (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/empire_01.shtml) Again, we find ourselves gazing back at the Roman world not as a model, but as an alien and terrifying alternative. No concept here of human rights: slavery required the systematic use of physical punishment, judicial torture and spectacular execution. From the crucifixion of rebel slaves in their thousands to the use of theatrical enactments of gruesome deaths in the arena as a form of entertainment, we see a world in which brutality was not only normal, but a necessary part of the system. And since the Roman economy was so deeply dependent on slave labour, whether in chained gangs in the fields, or in craft and production in the cities, we cannot wonder that modern technological revolutions driven by reduction of labour costs had no place in their world. But while this offends against the core values on which the modern world is based, brutality and human rights abuses are not limited to the past. Enough to think of the stream of refugees struggling to break into the fortunate zones of Europe, and recall that the Roman empire collapsed in the West because of the relatively deprived struggling to get in, not out. Torture and Entertainment in Antiquity Torture has been widely used in the ancient world as a form of entertainment, a public spectacle that drew throngs of people to witness various acts of violence as part of their leisure activity. Wallace Hadrill, explored this in his investigation of the Roman Empire, wherein it was posited that the torture of people was an offshoot of a slave society wherein humans are owned like properties and could be used and abused at will. The way torture became some form of national sport in the Roman world is best exemplified by the gladiatorial contest, for whom, the magnificent coliseums were built. The brutality that came with forcing men to kill other men or men to fight beasts was supposed to be a necessary part of the system that dominated the Roman society. Using torture and public execution served a lot of purposes for the Romans, and surely, elsewhere in antiquity. First is that it forms part of the punishment system designed to terrorize and strike fear in the heart of the subjugated slaves. Secondly, the spectacular manner by which torture was dispensed with was designed for entertainment as much as the psychological objective of subjugating men through sheer terror. This paragraph is important because it demonstrates the historical background of torture. In addition, it highlighted the pinnacle of the development of a kind of torture that is unrestrained by societal mores. The idea of using torture as form of entertainment is unthinkable in modern day but history showed us what form it could assume when people are not bound by the kind of values that we have today. Particularly, the Hadrill reference was used because it focused on the Roman slave society. I could have used the Assyrian or Persian customs of torture but the Romans have elevated the practice to some sophistication to the point that it became a national past time. What this adds to the original paper is that it depicted a kind of torture that is not only brutal in its violence but also a kind of cruelty for a society that sanctioned, institutionalized and enjoyed the infliction of harm and pain to human beings. The Psychological Makeup of Torture Kenneth Pope emphasized that even though torture may be physical in nature, it has strong psychological makeup. This character explains how in torture, the torturer seeks not only to scar the body but also to humiliate and terrorize the mind through spectacle, anticipation and fear-inducing methods of the act. It was cited, for instance, how forcing an individual to watch family or friends being tortured or forcing someone to participate could be as painful as- or more painful than being subjected to physical pain itself. Each kind of torture would have varying degrees of harm and pain inflicted physically and psychologically. But, all in all, the scar left by the atrocity is often expected to mar both the body and the mind. They collectively achieve the purpose of the atrocity. The significance of adding a paragraph discussing the psychological makeup of torture will enable the paper to be comprehensive and enlightening, allowing the reader to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. Readers often associate excruciating pain with torture and the psychological dimension is overlooked. By devoting a space for this aspect, the paper should be highlighting the degree of harm that the must be seen beyond the wounds and the scars of the victim. Also, this paragraph underscored the fact that there are many types of torture and their effects. Pope's piece on the subject achieves this objective because it provided several illuminating examples. Bibliography Pope, Kenneth. “Torture.” Resources for Torture Survivors, Refugees, Asylum-Seekers, & People Affected by War. N.p. 2011. Web. 18 April 2011. Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. (2011). "Roman Empire: The Paradox of Power.” BBC History. 2011. Web. 19 April 2011. Read More