Now that’s torture.

As Harry would say…..”Go ahead….Make my Day!!!

No doubt some people genuinely support torture because they think torture can have benign outcomes. They can say that if they want, and they’re wrong.

Nevertheless, much of the comment in favour of torture comes from parties who wish to either a) shock people, or b) torture people they don’t like.

A most instructive example of the latter came out of the Abu Ghraib scandal:

‘He recounted his abuse at the hands of U.S. guards — and especially, he says, by one Egyptian translator, a Coptic Christian who bragged to all prisoners, “I came to torture Muslims.â€? ‘

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=7865

First, a desire for vengeance, even if their victim is innocent.

Second, a desire to make some kind of name for themselves by taking an abhorrent position and claiming victim status when people tell them to grow up.

There is a significant overlap between the two groups.

Perhaps you fall only into the second. In that case, I apologise for implying that you are a sadist. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for you — at least the sadists are motivated by something other than shameless fame-whoring.

Holden: Come in. Sit down.

Leon: Care if I talk? I’m kind of nervous when I take tests.

Holden: Uh, just please don’t move.

Leon: Oh, sorry. I already had an IQ test this year, I don’t think I’ve ever had one of these-

Holden: Reaction time is a factor in this, so please pay attention. Now, answer as quickly as you can.

Leon: Sure.

Holden: One-one-eight-seven at Unterwasser.

Leon: That’s the hotel.

Holden: What?

Leon: Where I live.

Holden: Nice place?

Leon: Yeah, sure I guess– that part of the test?

Holden: No, just warming you up, that’s all.

Leon: Oh. It’s not fancy or anything.

Holden: You’re in a desert, walking along in the sand when all of the sudden-

Leon: Is this the test now?

Holden: Yes. You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down-

Leon: What one?

Holden: What?

Leon: What desert?

Holden: It doesn’t make any difference what desert, it’s completely hypothetical.

Leon: But how come I’d be there?

Holden: Maybe you’re fed up, maybe you want to be by yourself, who knows? You look down and you see a tortoise, Leon, it’s crawling towards you-

Leon: Tortoise, what’s that?

Holden: Know what a turtle is?

Leon: Of course.

Holden: Same thing.

Leon: I’ve never seen a turtle — But I understand what you mean.

Holden: You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back Leon.

Leon: Do you make up these questions, Mr. Holden, or do they write them down for you?

Holden: The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun beating its legs trying to turn itself over but it can’t, not without your help, but you’re not helping.

Leon: What do you mean I’m not helping?

Holden: I mean, you’re not helping. Why is that Leon? — They’re just questions, Leon. In answer to your query, they’re written down for me. It’s a test, designed to provoke an emotional response. — Shall we continue? Describe in single words, only the good things that come in to your mind about… your mother.

Leon: My mother?

Holden: Yeah.

Leon: Let me tell you about my mother…

[Leon shoots Holden]

And you’ll notice his legal career hasn’t exactly been lustrous since either. Especially not with the songs the members of the bar sang about him at the Savage Club. Basically he’s still a laughing stock among the Melbourne legal establishment he wanted so to be part of which, perhaps may account for why he’s now becoming a grumpy old shock jock.

He got sacked from the NCA, too, for lying about his “undercover” activities at a brothel.