Sen. Graham Perpetuates Myth: Torture Used Because it Works

In yesterday's hearing detainee interrogations, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended the Bush administration's interrogation techniques, which some have labeled torture.

Graham stated that there was evidence that torture provided "good information" in the war against enemy combatants. While questioning Ali Soufan, former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, Graham said, "One of the reasons these techniques have survived for about 500 years is apparently they work."

Actually, Graham commits a common mistake, assuming that just because something has been done for a long time implies that it is useful or effective. The fact is that people often continue to do things that are not effective.

People used to believe that disease was caused by an imbalance of fluids in the body called humors. Bloodletting was a common treatment (veins would be opened with knives and leeches applied to sick patients), along with the use of laxatives and purgatives. A minority of patients (those who didn't die from severe blood loss or infection) recovered and thanked the doctors for their effective treatment.

Today we know that bloodletting does not cure disease, yet it was believed to work and practiced for centuries. In modern times many patients take medicine that they believe is effective but is not; they are called placebos. And many government programs, from the DARE program to Star Wars missile defense to abstinence-only sex education, have never been proven effective, yet are funded year after year.

The question of whether torture (or "enhanced interrogation techniques") is effective can be debated, but Senator Graham's claim that it wouldn't have been used for 500 years if it didn't work simply doesn't hold water.

• Is Torture Okay? Depends on Your Religion