I'm immersing myself in all things Tudor right now. I'm watching series 3 of The Tudors with Yves, reading historical novels and also watching the films on Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchette. A thread through all of it is torture. Racks, fire, water, boiling, quartering, beheading. A fair amount this all took place in public view.
Fast forward more than 500 years. Now we have "advanced interrogation techniques." Oh, things are neater. Less gory. Far far less public. Medically supervised a fair amount of the time.
Watching these films I can't help but think about how far we haven't come. Have not progressed. That if you demean a person's physical dignity they will often say anything, do anything. It was true in the reign of Henry VIII, and it is true when W ruled.
If there is anything I hope for it is that the rule of law, basic human rights, is restored. Because this torture is hidden away, how do you know?
Anatomy of a Garden Trip – Wales/Cymru 2023
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