Some people can handle physical pain better than others.

I am not talking about resistance, I am saying they have different effects so they should not be compared as "what is worse?"

Yes they can, but removing an eye has the same effect on everyone...one less eye.

Well, anyway, Aliantha: yeah. It is. Gitmo shows our restraint -- even when the Gitmo prisoners try provoking our MP's by flinging piss on them from behind their cell bars. We do not shoot them for this. We're so cool.

Yay, Us.

You're kidding right? The psychological techniques used by the military are no different than those used by your local police.

Your police lock you in a room with no natural light, don't let you sleep by blasting metallica, deprive you of food, drench you with icy cold water to wash you, and all of that all without a set release date? I must know the wrong police officers...

I feel so sorry for you UG.

We should be doing neither, ever.

Don't. There is no need.

Where there is need, however, is for the breaking of all non-democracies. No other form of governance is remotely as legitimate as a democracy. Nondemocracies behave far worse than democracies do, as any perusal of current events will show. The world's troubles -- do they not have their origin exclusively from the less-than-democracies?

Pedant's note: I'm counting republics among the species of democracies.

some would view the united states as the source of their troubles.

It's all a matter of perspective UG. You should try and remember that once in a while.

There is accurate perspective, and there is inaccurate perspective.

You want a good world? You make democracy regardless of anything the fascists may say, do, or attempt. We democrats must prevail.

The smell of dead fascists rotting is but a momentary annoyance contrasted with democracy's ongoing benefits.

You're sounding a bit like the bloke who forgot to take his medication this morning UG. ;)

Actually, I did... but it's diabetes medication. And I took it this afternoon. :p

And it's still only a momentary annoyance.

That's why I'll always like George W. Bush: he eats more un-democrats for breakfast than all his counterparts put together manage all week.

Really? I thought he was a bit of a forgetful old man that probably likes softened oats more than anything as meaty as an 'undemocrat'.

Why, Ali, that would be... misunderestimating. ;)

This guy's idea of good clean, soul-cleansing fun is tending to his South Texas ranch, clearing brush and so on. Prolly agrees with Reagan that there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. Wouldn't be surprised to discover he has about thirty kinds of bottled hot sauce -- and one or two favorites -- and quite a taste for San Antonio-style chili. They invented the stuff there about a century and a quarter back.

Well a good hot chilli would probably help keep the old codger regular. :)