Lawyers and Waterboarding

The primary reason unionized (ABA) American trial lawyers oppose waterboarding is based upon the adverse impact its acceptance would have on their lucrative law practices.

Imagine if the OPR (Office of Professional Responsibility lawyers) had instead decided waterboarding was a permissable form of truth extraction, rather than a vile method of torture. Since waterboarding leaves no lasting bodily harm, defendants including corrupt officials and well-heeled politicians (many of whom, of course, might themselves be lawyers) would be made to confess crimes, implicate others and share secrets such as Islamist clientelle.

Some day, we might also have look forward to waterboarding not only of boardroom execs like ENRON’s vermin, but of Arthur Andersen's lawyer, who recommended shredding those culpatory client documents.