Cow Dunk

Yesterday, talk show host Eric "Mancow" Muller was waterboarded live on WLS AM 890 Chicago. He lasted about 8 seconds. Here's the vid.



Mancow said it was torture. Before he went through it he said adamantly up and down that it was not torture. He had also interviewed a few Navy SEALs in the days leading up to the event. SEALs all undergo waterboarding as part of their training. Generally they would say things like "it's not fun," but stopped short of calling it torture.

Whether it's torture or not, even watching this video I find myself impressed and grateful that our military and intelligence communities have devised a method of interrogation that is so highly effective yet stops short of leaving permanent physical harm. It is rough, intense, and coercive, as is sometimes required for thugs with intel. But ripping out fingernails it is not. And considering that we've broadcast to the terrorist world that the longest they'll ever have to endure this procedure is 40 seconds at a stretch, any further comparison between us and Al Queda monsters who mutilate for fun is beyond contemptible.

As to whether there is lingering psychological harm, let's just say I'm not losing any sleep over whether or not Khalid Sheik Muhammed has nightmares about drowning.