Last night my friend Michael Otterman launched his book, American Torture: From the Cold War to Abu Ghraib and Beyond at Gleebooks, an intellectual institution in Sydney. I had the privilege of photographing the event.
His is a timely publication that examines the history of America’s use of torture. While many of these techniques are not American in origins, they have nevertheless become associated with the American military. Mike’s website tracks the news and developments related to America’s use of torture.
American Torture was launched alongside Australian historian Associate Professor Ian Bickerton’s new book, Unintended Consequences: The United States at War. In the book, Professor Bickerton and his co-author, Kenneth Hogan examines ten major wars that the United States had waged and reached the conclusion that these wars were unnecessary, avoidable, and catastrophically unpredictable.
Last night, Prof Bickerton reiterated that no war is a good war. Mike’s book points to a chilling facet of the civilised world one would rather not see – that primitive actions, no matter how humiliating, are still being used despite proof of ineffectiveness.
If no war is a good war and if torture has been discredited, why then, in the 21st century is the civilised world still relying on such neanderthal methods of resolving conflicts?
This begets the questions: Does history repeat itself? Are the lessons of history futile?
Is it the sheer arrogance of the belief that a “modern” and “civilised” world as such can, against the odds, dictate the outcomes of its actions; that the lessons of history can be changed? Or perhaps it is just sheer stupidity?
~ Jaime
