[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Hopefully this display of actual torture will be helpful to those Dwellars who label waterboarding and other such fraternity hazing-level activities as torture.

I think this is a classic case of desensitization. You look at blowtorches to the skin, and suddenly waterboarding seems harmless, almost quaint. It isn't. Any fraternity that tried it would find it's members doing 5-10 for assault.

Waterboarding consists of immobilizing an individual and pouring water over his face to simulate drowning, which produces a severe gag reflex, making the subject believe his death is imminent while ideally not causing permanent physical damage. "The threat of imminent death" is one of the legal definitions of torture under U.S. law [2].

Emphasis mine on ideally. One of the advantages of someplace like Guantanamo and 'secret prisons' is if a fatal heart attack does occur, a discreet disposal of the body is possible.