Federal Government's Music of Torture

[spejic]

Here is a list of confirmed songs that the United States government has used on detainees according to Mother Jones magazine (http://motherjones.com/news/featurex/2008/03/torture-playlist.html).

F*** Your God - Decide
Die MF Die - Dope
Take Your Best Shot - Dope
White America - Eminem
Kim - Eminem
Barney Theme Song - Barney TV show
Bodies - Drowning Pool
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Meow Mix Theme Song - Meow Mix commercial
Sesame Street Theme Song - Sesame Street TV show
Babylon - David Gray
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC
Hell's Bells - AC/DC
Sayin' Alive - Bee Gees
All Eyes on Me - Tupac
Dirrty - Christina Aguilera
America - Niel Diamond
Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
American Pie - Don McLean
Click Click Boom - Saliva
cold - matchbox 20
Swan Dive - Hed P.E.
Raspberry Beret - Prince

If you are unfamiliar with, say, the relaxing melody of "F*** Your God", you can follow the link above for clips of all these.

So, do you think these are effective? Do you like really like some of these songs? Do you have your own better choices?

[churchill2000]

Dirrty - Christina Aguilera




Is that song suppost to send mixed signals:confused:

[billyireland]

...
Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
...I would love to hear Zack de la Rocha's opinion on this.

[freekickwiz]

Pffft... needs more brutal death metal.

[bojendyk]

The use of "American Pie" crosses the line from aggressive interrogation into flat-out torture.

Gawd, I hate that ********ing song.

[Claymore]

The use of "American Pie" crosses the line from aggressive interrogation into flat-out torture.

Gawd, I hate that ********ing song.
I was just thinking the same about "Raspberry Beret"

[Stogey23]

Meow Mix Theme Song - Meow Mix commercial

The inclusion of this just made me cry with laughter.

5JuVHCJVYf4

[voyager]

Pffft... needs more brutal death metal.

I would have included some Behemoth, 1349, Kataklysm or Goatwhore.

[Val1]

The use of "American Pie" crosses the line from aggressive interrogation into flat-out torture.

Gawd, I hate that ********ing song.
I'm OK with song once or twice, but repetitively, I'd break. Same with You Light Up My Life...

[Sachsen]

What does it say about me that I have over half of that stuff in my iTunes? (Not the Barney theme song, though.)

I'm reminded of the scene from Back to the Future when Marty puts the headphones on George McFly's sleeping head and then cranks up Eddie Van Halen.

[Claymore]

"Afternoon Delight" didn't make the list? That's the aural equivalent of waterboarding.

[voyager]

Actually, they should have included the following:

Like a Virgin - Madonna
Talk Dirty to Me - Poison
Wild Side - Motley Crue
Anything from 2LiveCrew
I Touch Myself - The DiVinyls
DMSR (dance music sex romance) - Prince
Sugar Walls - Sheena Easton
Gett Off - Prince

[rabble-rabble]

How about Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini?

(See if someone can name the movie reference)

[Eric B]

I would love to hear Zack de la Rocha's opinion on this.Indeed, it might be the most delicious piece of irony I've ever witnessed...

[andorj78]

I would love to hear Zack de la Rocha's opinion on this.


Springsteen's too.

[PhillyQuakesFan]

What does it say about me that I have over half of that stuff in my iTunes? (Not the Barney theme song, though.)


I have about a third of it. Mostly the AC/DC and Metallica type stuff. Also no Barney :D

This is more proof that the allegations of torture at Guantanamo are baseless. Most of that playlist is pretty good. If they were really torturing them they'd play "Umbrella-ella-ella", "I don't like your boyfriend", "My lip gloss is popping", and "Hey there Delilah" over and over again on repeat

[CHICO13]

Barney Theme Song - Barney TV show


Isn't this against the Geneva Convention? This has to be characterized as cruel and unusual...

[spejic]

I'm kind of surprised that there are so few blasphemous songs on the list. You would think it would be a natural way to get at the detainees. I've read that blasphemy is a not-uncommon tactic among the Iraqi Kurds against the al Qaeda terrorists they capture. I can think of two reasons why this is the case:

1) The officers guarding the prisoners are not the kind of people familiar with anti-god death metal.
2) During WWII, we found that an environment where the captured Japanese soldier continued to feel they were in conflict with the US made them very uncooperative, and an environment where they felt their personal conflict was over did the opposite. That kind of music could be good revenge, but bad for intel gathering. This is, however, making the bizarre assumption that our military learns from the past.

I think I agree with other here that 70's light rock is the ultimate Weapon of Mind Destruction. It just kinds of insidiously destroys passions and intellect. Hearing the songs over and over would certainly make you upset - not the angry kind, but the hopeless despair kind. I think I personally would gladly betray my nation in exchange for the sweet release of death after a few days of that. Some of my picks:

Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts
Dance With Me - Orleans
Sunshine (Go Away Today) - Jonathan Edwards
I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - England Dan (!)
When I Need You - Leo Sayer
Make It With You - Bread

And, yes, I did some research. Excuse me while I go load up the bloodiest first-person shooter I have and start some indiscriminate killing to get this horrible fog out of my head.

[Val1]

2) During WWII, we found that an environment where the captured Japanese soldier continued to feel they were in conflict with the US made them very uncooperative, and an environment where they felt their personal conflict was over did the opposite. That kind of music could be good revenge, but bad for intel gathering. This is, however, making the bizarre assumption that our military learns from the past.
Let me assure you that the military knows that. It is the civilians in charge who feel the need to torture. The best way to interrogate is to evesdrop on other's conversations anyway. But that's a different thread.

So many songs that when heard over and over again would break me:

Billy Don't Be A Hero
Barry Manilow's entire catalogue
Seasons in the Sun
Sometimes When we Touch
Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head

[Dyvel]

I'm kind of surprised that there are so few blasphemous songs on the list...

I'd be surprised if AQ members could speak enough English to understand a pop song, never mind Norwegian death metal. Personally, if I was going to strap a suicide belt on and head out to do a days work I'd have the Bad Brains on my iPod.

Torture would be Bon Jovi.