Torture: unreliable at best

As the old saying goes, "If you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything."

A few days back, I picked up the LA Times to read an article: "Friend says he and Manafort were criminals" wherein Richard Gates testified that he and Paul Manafort (former Trump Campaign Manager) had engaged in criminal activities.  Note: The testimony was that Gates and Manafort conducted criminal activities - not Trump (which goes back to the Judge's comment a while back that this case against Manafort was a witch hunt and not a drive to arrive at justice.

I hadn't gotten past the 4th paragraph when the word "TORTURE" popped in my head.  I mean, why would anyone admit to having committed criminal activity in a Federal case unless they were being coerced into confessing?  Or course, this brings us to the concept of "torture." 

See, at least twice weekly, I have someone come into my library who has committed some kind of felony (that's "felony" as in over a year in prison).  Thing is, it doesn't matter if it's arson, rape, murder, or treason - NO ONE ever admits that they actually did the crime.  It's always someone elses fault.  "They" got the wrong person.  "They" are prosecuting the wrong wo/man.  

Morale:  No one ever confesses to anything unless someone is twisting their arm.

Soooooooooooooo, who is twisting Gates' arm?  Of course, this goes back to when Robert Mueller was "asking" a Federal judge to grant immunity to five (5) witnesses. 

Why grant immunity? Because torture is illegal, that's why.  The problem with torture, is that it produces unreliable information and that that anyone will say anything to stop the pain.  Don't believe me?  Ask any five year-old who just stole a cookie.  They'll cave in mere seconds just to avoid the ensuing interrogation.

So, like him or hate him, I doubt seriously that Manafort did anything technically wrong.  Why?  Because Gates was tortured into saying what he is saying; with immunity, he can say whatever he wants without fear of torture and/or further pain.  

Frankly, anyone that believes anything that Mueller (the torturer) or Gates (the torturee) has to say, well,....I have a bridge to sell you situated out in the Florida Everglades.  

No, really!  I built a bridge that spans the ocean to Cuba and I'm selling it for a mere $4,000,000.  Don't believe me?  Well, that's probably for the best.