A Thinking Reed

"Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed" – Blaise Pascal

Go, NPR!

One of the annoying things about the recent debate over waterboarding has been the media’s tendency to refer to it as “simulated drowning.” This is inaccurate and gives a distorted view of what the process involves. Having water poured into your lungs is not a simulation.

So, I was gratified to hear Nina Totenberg on NPR this morning refer to waterboarding as “controlled drowning,” a much more accurate and descriptive term.

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2 responses to “Go, NPR!”

  1. jonolan

    Correct! It’s controlled – but so not a simulation. It’s a disturbing sensation the first time the water runs into your lungs. What’s really shocking is how cold it feels.

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  2. pdxstudent

    Yes. This has been my first impression from the start. Over at Small Wars Journal is a great article on, among other things, the absurdity of the euphemism of “simulated drowning.” Make sure to follow what goes on there to John Protevi’s Blog for a great follow-up discussion about torture and torture apologists.

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