raindropple

Do you think that the Afghanistan prisoners of war are treated in the correct manner?

How should pow's be treated?

Atheists please answer

Feather

They should be kept clean and sheltered from harmful environments. They should be well fed. They should be free of debilitating torture (mental and physical).

This will maximise our ability to extract information from them, so we can go blow up their friends. When this is accomplished, any prisoner we have that was directly or to a significant degree indirectly connected to a terrorist attack on US properties and/or interests should be summarily executed. The rest should be released back into Afghanistan after we've rebuilt it into a proper democratic republic.

That's my opinion anyway. And, yes, I'm an atheist.

tronvillain

While in certain situations I could tolerate torturing and executing prisoners of war, I think they should be treated like the country treats civilian prisoners.

Mendeh

How should pow's be treated?
If you've signed the Geneva Convention, then, ahem, according to the Geneva Convention.

Do you think that the Afghanistan prisoners of war are treated in the correct manner?
Nope. The USA signed the Geneva Convention. They're not being treated according to the Geneva Convention. QED.

tronvillain

Mendeh
Ah, but does the Geneva Convention actually apply in this case? I mean, are the Afghani legally prisoners of war? As far as I know (I may not have been paying attention), the US hasn't actually declared war against anyone, so it's difficult to see how they could be.

Vorkosigan

Atheism is a lack of belief in gods. It has no moral fallout, other than regarding morals as not god-derived. How does this entail any conclusions regarding the definition and treatment of POWs? Give us a reason to answer as atheists, and we'll answer.

Vorkosigan

King Arthur

They should each be given a Gideon Bible and be forced at gunpoint to read it!

Mendeh

I can't see how the USA not publically declaring war on a country that it's quite happily been bombing the shit out of and attacking on the ground, making use of diverse wings of its own military as well as getting it's allies to join in the arse-kicking, is anything but trying to shirk, through weasel-worded legal semantics, ethical responsibilities to which it has officially pledged its support, but does not want to have the inconvenience of living up to.

Montefarle

Which situations would you deem it "appropriate" to torture and execute prisoners of war; who would have the power to decide who was tortured and who was spared; and what leverage would that leave us when our own POW's are tortured in other countries detainment camps? I personally think torture is barbaric and should not be used under most forseeable circumstances (I say most because there will always be one instance where, yes, torture might be considered a valid alternative) and that the United States should not affiliate itsself with such practices.

Boro Nut

The perceived wisdom is to dip them in 5 parts sulphate of mercury every six months, but I find a light dusting of Fisons Mildew Powder before drying under a cold frame to be a better option as it ameliorates the symptoms of leaf scab and encourages any sheep tics to ovulate prematurely. It goes without saying they should be stored in grease-proof paper off the ground.

Boro Nut