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American Psychological Association Hit With New Torture Allegations
sciencehabit writes: Did the American Psychological Association (APA) collude with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to enable the torture of detainees in the War on Terror? The answer won't be known until June, when an independent investigation is due to conclude. But at least one thing was made clear in a report from an independent group of psychologists based on e-mail exchanges between APA and CIA officials from 2003 to 2006: The world's largest professional organization for psychologists has maintained a surprisingly cozy relationship with the defense and intelligence community.
They may have used the APA style guide. That's been torturing people for a long time.
I know nothing about the relationship between the APA and the CIA/FBI/TSA/NSA/GOP here, so it may all be terrible. But: there are reasons to cooperate with a body that might misuse your work that do not involve encouraging them to misuse it. One example might be if the advise offered was on how to get answers out of someone without torturing them.
One community that would, presumably, be very good at the whole knowing how to "Get information out of people without torturing them" would be psychologists (well, at least 43% of the time ;-)).
Yes, I may be wrong here. But the truth is I'd rather wait until this report is published, than leap to assumptions.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
It would be like them going to the AMA and asking what's the most effective way to cut someone up.
Doctors are meant to heal not inflict damage. It's attitudes like yours that does the most damage to society.
The ones who major in Psychology are typically the ones who need it.
The CIA would beat detainees with hardcover copies of outdated DSMs. And then make them read them.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
This has been going on for a long time - although it was not called "torture", but "research".
Here in Canada, the CIA funded Dr. Ewan Cameron's "psychic driving" experiments under the MKULTRA program.
Dr. Cameron was also the head of both the American and World Psychiatric associations.
"Patients" were given treatments such as electroshock, LSD, drug-induced comas, etc., although many of the patients were there for anxiety or depression and did not consent to these types of treatments. Cameron essentially turned his patients into vegetables who suffered from amnesia and forgot how to talk or dress themselves. Some did not remember family members and forgot how to use the bathroom by themselves.
Many of the surviving victims were eventually given small financial settlements, and the Canadian government and CIA were essentially absolved of any wrong doing as a result.
The Fifth Estate productions produced an excellent movie based on Dr. Cameron and his experiments, entitled The Sleep Room".
You can watch it online here.
Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
Real doctors take an oath to do no harm with the knowledge they've been granted. I guess that's why the CIA went with psychologists.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
DO we blame plier manufacturers for their roles in torture? What is the difference between a physical tool and a psychological one?
Unless there's a new ISO standard for ripping apart fingers and testicles for plier manufacturers, I'd say premeditation has a hell of a lot to do with the difference.
The fact that nobody went to jail for US waterboarding is disturbing.
The US had used allegations of waterboarding against Japanese decision makers in the post WWII war-crimes trials to sentence them. Although, it should be noted that it was typically one of multiple torture allegations.
http://www.politifact.com/virg...
We are filthy hypocrites. Somebody(s) should be locked up a good long time.
Table-ized A.I.