Re: CDR: Re: FBI considers torture as suspects stay silent
-- On 22 Oct 2001, at 23:05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > My understanding > (from questioning on this topic in the distant past with an > MD/"shrink") is that the sodium > thiopental/pentobarbital/etc. "truth serum" is an urban > legend. He was quite specific that the drug was a definite > aid to relaxing patients, and "allowing" them to go where > they _wanted_ to (psychiatrically speaking) with much less > "work", but that "pentothal interviews" were very much not > free-will altering devices. In vino veritas. People will confess under mere psychological pressure even when sober, sometimes to terrible crimes that they have not committed. A wide variety of drugs, most famously alcohol, will make them even more talkative, though less coherent and intelligible. Most of the date rape drugs are also highly effective truth serums, most of them considerably more effective even than alcohol. Jimson weed can get anyone to talk with alarming frankness, though what they say may not make a lot of sense, or have any reliable connection to reality. --digsig James A. Donald 6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG OV/M+pPz395rYGZdJAWC2jLQTsBD3fd0KW7/Aptz 4zUt5zqlpjnRPDD27tfczySh5sIhOm2VMSIQaItmW
Re: CDR: Re: FBI considers torture as suspects stay silent
On Mon, 22 Oct 2001, Tim May wrote: > If the U.S. abandons the standard that no person shall be compelled to > be a witness against himself--something the "truth serum" drugging > option would of course imply just as surely as torture would--the end > times will be upon us. I submit that this has already been long abandoned, however, I am more interested at the moment in the "truth serum" premise. My understanding (from questioning on this topic in the distant past with an MD/"shrink") is that the sodium thiopental/pentobarbital/etc. "truth serum" is an urban legend. He was quite specific that the drug was a definite aid to relaxing patients, and "allowing" them to go where they _wanted_ to (psychiatrically speaking) with much less "work", but that "pentothal interviews" were very much not free-will altering devices. At the risk of being told to go google (which I guess I'll do in a moment), does anyone have any information either contrary to this, or possibly of another "truth serum" that would fit the stated bill? I really suspect this truth serum business is just psywar in action... -- Yours, J.A. Terranson [EMAIL PROTECTED] If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they should give serious consideration towards setting a better example: Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate... This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers, associates, or others. Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the first place...
Re: CDR: Re: FBI considers torture as suspects stay silent
On Mon, 22 Oct 2001, Jon Beets wrote: > Subject: CDR: Re: FBI considers torture as suspects stay silent > > This appears total BS to me... While I don't doubt some agents do at times > conduct their own idea of interrogation I sincerely doubt that the FBI as a > whole would be considering this... > > Jon Beets In all seriousness, why? I brought this up for discussion today at lunch, with people who I expected would downright disbelieve this, not just doubt it, and was very surprised to hear their reaction, most easily paraphrased as "about time they got around to it". It seems that in todays hyper-"patriotic" environment, this is would be not only an "accepted practice", but even a _preferred_ one by many Amerikans :-( -- Yours, J.A. Terranson [EMAIL PROTECTED] If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they should give serious consideration towards setting a better example: Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate... This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers, associates, or others. Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the first place...