I think that what you are saying is very important because duration of suffering is particularly important. But I would say it applies to psychological suffering as much as physical torture.

But the whole issue is we can put up with a certain amount of suffering but we have our limits, and as you say the effects of experience can linger on a long term basis.Beyond a certain point, we begin to get ill with stress, depression and the ego can even collapse, leading to psychosis.

As you say, it is not a completely new and unchartered territory but because seems to be obvious if one thinks about it does not mean that it should be overlooked. The people who experienced torture physically and psychologically need to be given support in a most sensitive way in order for them to recover as fully as possible. If they are treated negatively, especially within the psychiatric system, without appreciation of what they have been through they may experience exacerbations of the original cycle of trauma.

What is especially important are the stories torture victims tell themselves after being subjected to abject suffering. For instance, a journalist who challenges an authoritarian regime and is taken captive and subjected to a mock execution might blame herself for getting into the situation and thus potentially orphaning her children when really she should blame the regime for being evil. Often it seems victims try to rationalize torture however they can, but these rationalizations also contribute to the lingering effects in some circumstances. — ToothyMaw

Some ways of torturing explicitly try to get their victims to want the torture or blame themselves for it, so that the torturers appear as allies and saviours.

If you isolate someone and deprive their senses, the person who isolated them can be friendly and provide relief and human contact.

If you force someone into a stress position, you give someone the experience of their own body failing, "If only I hadn't been so weak".

If you rectally force feed someone, even hunger can turn into the anticipation of humiliation and pain.

You also want to put someone into a situation where their stress response is elevated and their ability to cope with whatever torture is administered to them is diminished; like with isolation and sleep deprivation.

Modern torture techniques are designed so that the victim blames themselves for what's happening to them, so that dependence is fostered upon the torturer, and so that normal bodily processes become a source of stress. They're designed so that they engender pathological coping mechanisms, designed to promote lingering effects.

I appreciate the quality of your post; you obviously know quite a bit about this. Quite frankly what you describe sounds like a form of indoctrination. Have you read at all about the after-effects of these pathological coping mechanisms and whether it is possible to shake them after they have been developed? And can you recommend any reading?

Oh you don't need an authoritarian regime for torture or trauma, life and unrestricted human nature will do that plenty well on it's own. Same with depression and hopelessness. Besides, stupid is as stupid does. You don't blame the animal when it acts as it is and shows to all who may observe it truly knows no better. The worst victims are those made or raised to be so malleable by the fears and the worst of life they view themselves as part of it or that it's "right" or "necessary", and need tell themselves nothing.

See religion and atheism have one thing in common. Both groups seek to prove to one another something that cannot be proven is fact.

Other than that, they say pain is all in the mind. I wouldn't think that happens too often these days. Anyone entrusted with anything useful would be trained to handle it properly. Usually, by illustrated and proven example that the long term value, goal, or objective of whatever reason or cause the hypothetical torture victim was involved in (that captured said persons interest in the first place) overwhelming dwarfs the value of any other pleasure, joy, or accomplishment (and so cost of pain, anguish, or failure) the person could have ever hoped to achieve (or avoid) in life. Otherwise, why would the person have joined to do whatever they were involved in in the first place?

Not going to lie, I don't understand most of what you wrote; it's total gibberish to me. Maybe try writing something a little more coherent? And nowhere did I say that only authoritarian regimes are capable of evil.

You don't blame the animal when it acts as it is and shows to all who may observe it truly knows no better. The worst victims are those made or raised to be so malleable by the fears and the worst of life they view themselves as part of it or that it's "right" or "necessary", and need tell themselves nothing. — Outlander

Can you explain what you mean by this?

Maybe try writing something a little more coherent? — ToothyMaw

I'll try but don't get your hopes up. If there's one thing philosophy teaches us it's that anything not immediately understood is a dead end.

Anyway, open governments where law and order can be not only applied but openly scrutinized by all reduces human suffering.

Pain is all in the mind. Can be overcome/rationalized. Though I've never been physically tortured to an extreme degree (been through a few painful mishaps no doubt but still a far cry from the psychological contexts of situations you describe).

In the last example I was talking more of hypothetical torture situations for a foreign combatant/intelligence agent (ie. someone who has something "worth knowing") as opposed to a citizen being tortured for merely criticizing his government. Though there can be parallels. My point (or attempt to remind others of good news) was that governments don't usually just "horrifically torture" random citizens who just happen to be a bit dissatisfied, want more results than they're currently getting and who wish to take things into their own hands. Then again, some do.

Just curious, what is the point or message of your OP exactly? Pain can bring trauma? That federalism, shared powers, and an open enough society that allows these things (CIA waterboarding) to actually see the light of day as opposed to crimes and persons never being heard of/from again is good? If so, you did a bang up job.

Every government or power structure is full of (not the majority [hopefully]) s**t people, evil people, psychopaths, etc. Those are the most inclined to seek/reach/maintain power in the first place. It's how open the society is that allows these things to come to light in the first place so it can be corrected, as you've so perfectly illustrated. If not unintentionally. You don't kill the entire octopus just because one of it's arms happens to be cancerous. You amputate it. Then it'll grow back nice, new, and healthy. In time.

Can you explain what you mean by this? — ToothyMaw

Do you think I can?

Just curious, what is the point or message of your OP exactly? Pain can bring trauma? That federalism, shared powers, and an open enough society that allows these things (CIA waterboarding) to actually see the light of day as opposed to crimes and persons never being heard of/from again is good? If so, you did a bang up job. — Outlander

More so that the rationalizations one might go through while or after being tortured can contribute to pernicious and long lasting effects.

Pain is all in the mind. — Outlander

I suppose, but, as it appears you admit, psychological torture is a little harder to overcome; it breaks down your very ability to resist, and, much like fdrake said, causes you to develop pathological coping mechanisms, perhaps even perceiving your torturer's motives as good.

And sorry for being a little flippant.