Torture and Secrecy versus Democracy and Peace Development

Abstract

A series of flow charts with testable hypotheses will elaborate, in potentially researchable ways, the interrelationships of the most relevant variables, both micro and macro level, that may cause a person to engage in torture (or terrorist acts) or to employ degradation tactics, or to instigate stressful or abusive interrogation tactics, designed or intended at minimum to humiliate a victim (or “chosen enemy”). The analysis should provide at least an accounting scheme for evaluating particular instances of such abuse, their motivations, causes, possible cover-up, or government sanctions, as well as eventual prevention, ending in reeducation of the perpetrator as well as the victim(s). Some of the multi-level hypotheses will be demonstrated from well-known or recent international or national news incidents as well as voluminous US government memoranda and reports (Greenberg & Dratel, 2005, The Torture Papers). Starting with Slawski’s review of terror motives and causes plus neutralization techniques (ISSS Cancun Proc., 2004), there will be a restatement in stark multi-level causal charts of the verifiable statements of Pilisuk and associates (2000 & 2005, Charts 3 & 4) with regard to the goals of multi-national corporations and their effects in the direction of providing or promoting causes and cycles of corruption, violence, including torture, terror, tyranny and war, amplified by propaganda (Charts 5-7), all in the context of resource-rich but otherwise poor nations around the world. Whether the actor is a corporation, rogue state as the warrior, or a secret intelligence investigator or interrogator, vicious cycles of disruptive social interaction will be explored, especially as they illuminate consequences like revenge, “blowback,” or negative boomerangs upon the perpetrator. Elaboration on the conference themes of democratization and global social interactional sustainability will be central (transforming lesser to greater jihad, Chart #1, then crime “neutralization” to social realization, Chart #2), the spirit of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and The Earth Charter, negotiation and self realization (Charts 8 & 9), along with the concise axioms on global ecosophy plus conflict resolution (of Arne Naess, Norwegian philosopher, 1958 & 1986/1995, supported by reminders of Gandhian principles, in Charts 10-11). Starting from the point of view of a potential violence perpetrator, a personal, societal and cultural need ladder will be sketched (summarized in Chart #12, Ecosophy over Violence), by painting lines on the road to global ecosophical-democratization. Eventual worldwide peace development, as a way to wise social and environmental management, is the long-run goal, aided by a program of statements of hopefully attainable, constructive policy guidelines toward that end.