Waterboarding is not live coals on a persons body. Thanks for the tip, dude.
Waterboarding causes extreme trauma. Extreme trauma causes brain damage. Psychological scars from trauma are invisable, unlike flesh burns from hot coals.
The best book on trauma I have ever read: Trauma and Recovery, by Judith Herman. Importantly, the social, political aspects of trauma are covered by Herman.
Further, Social Psychology tells us: torture does not work; and, it is very hard to disobey an authoritarian system where torture is accepted.
I believe were we to understand trauma better, as a people, we would be a lot happier.

Posted at February 15, 2008 7:56 PM in response to Lieberman: Waterboarding is OK by Me