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How was the torture that Alleg experienced systematic (meaning that torture was policy, not the product of a few “bad apples”)? Thinking about the physical and mental torture methods that Alleg faced will help to answer this question.

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How was the torture that Alleg experienced systematic (meaning that torture was policy, not the product of a few “bad apples”)? Thinking about the physical and mental torture methods that Alleg faced will help to answer this question.

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To what extent do Sartre and Alleg believe that torturers are savages?

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To what extent do Sartre and Alleg believe that torturers are savages?

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How do Sartre and Alleg describe the torturers as justifying themselves and their actions?

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How do Sartre and Alleg describe the torturers as justifying themselves and their actions?

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What do Sartre and Alleg write about the role that racism play in torture?

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What do Sartre and Alleg write about the role that racism play in torture?

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In The Question, Sartre and Alleg are not of the opinion that all of the torturers are savage sadists, but that this is a part of the human condition, or rather the "inhuman" condition of mankind. Sartre announces "Man is inhuman" (pg. xxx). Sartre also states "Executioners and victims alike are in the grip of a violent and anonymous hatred" (xxxv); it is the hatred within people that drive towards the inevitable conclusion of using torture, and being the torturer or victim is really just a matter of timing. Alleg states of French leaders "portraying themselves as respectful of universal moral values and of human rights", and then "this presentation of reality that The Question - in French, the word signifies 'torture' - demonstrated to be false." (98) Alleg believes that this presentation of being just and right and yet using Sartre's "inhuman" methods is a characteristic of elitist groups catering to the hatreds and interests of the "powerful", pressing aside the welfare of the mass of the nation (101), and gives examples such as the actions of the United States at the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons, both which utilize torture against captives.

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The torture that Alleg experienced was systematic and simply the result of a few bad apples, because the people that tortured him had already had a lot of experience and vast methods of torturing people before his arrival. The way that they had a system of where they would take him and the order in which they would do the torture signified that this was very methodical and systematic. How they would shock him at different levels of intensity with making sure that he wouldn't be able to pass out, how they knew how long they could let him drawn for without killing him shows that they have done this before. The most telling sign was when the guard called them the Gestapo and how they could do whatever they wanted to him. That shows that there was no reason one for them to be afraid of to be punished for their actions or that no one had any objections. The entire system supported it.

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The torture that Alleg experienced was systematic in that everything was rather organized, with sophisticated methods of torture in use by the paratroopers. As in, nothing, as Alleg's account implies, was necessarily on the spot. From the electrocution on the wooden plank, to the use of dehydration as a lure for information. Those imprisoned are moved from room to room in a seemingly organized manner. The language used by some of the troops, such as the major when he states that, in reference to others they've tortured before, "'They're all like that at the beginning'" (Alleg 69), implying a certain pattern that is streamlined.

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The torture that Alleg experienced was systematic due to the torture being organized and sophisticated. the tortures had many methods and experience in torturing people, making their job more routine rather than "a new experience". The torturing process had a step-by-step procedure, they took him, then depending on the method, they would shock him at different intensities just enough for it to hurt but not enough to make him unconscious. The experience level of the torturers and how they know when to push more or stop to not kill the person shows how they are "professionals" in the field of torture and weren't just put to the task. When they were called "The Gestapo" this proved that they were experienced and the torturing process was systematic. The system of torture was organized and supported, and they were not going to get punished for their actions. I think it is interesting how the mental and physical torture put onto Alleg was so precise and by procedure, it makes you think how many other people were in his position over the years.

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The French military openly stated they would use torture. There was a designated building/location for torture. There was a systematic way that the military torture was applied depending on how unwilling you were to talk. Many torturer's remained the same but new men would filter in to try their hand at getting you to talk. You could tell a new untrained torturer from experienced torturer as they transformed. The goal was not to kill you but to barely keep you alive. Torture, little rest, torture, little rest, little food/water, torture and so on. This was the best way to get information so the French decided to go from using it in exceptional circumstances to doing this systematically.

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What do Sartre and Alleg write about the role that racism plays in torture?

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What do Sartre and Alleg write about the role that racism plays in torture?

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Sartre and Alleg both write that the torturers view racism as a way to justify their actions. Sartre writes: "For most Europeans in Algeria, there are two complementary and inseparable truths. That they have the divine right, and that the natives are sub-human." (The Question [Preface], xli). This reiterates the idea that the Algerian people were not seen as equals, which made their actions "justifiable." In Alleg's account, he recounts what one of the soldiers said: "When we have a European we look after him better than the 'wogs'" (The Question, 41). Despite Alleg being seen as "the enemy," they still allege to treat him better based on his European decent.

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This torture was systematic as it was a regular process that was routinely carried out and intentionally passed on to new soldiers to perpetuate its existance. This was evidenced by Alleg when they were burning him with paper torches, one of the soldiers noted that he had not used this specific form of torture before and it was almost a training experience for him. Sartre explains this well when he states that "colonisation ends by the annihilation of the colonised" (Sartre xl). Through the process of colonization, the French had reduced the humanity of the Algerians, so the French had little problem doing such horrible things to them in order to preserve their supposed superiority. When this sentiment allows the creation of "torture factories" like the one Alleg was sent to, a large group of people become desensitized to such atrocities, and this act becomes normalized.

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 How do Sartre and Alleg describe the torturers as justifying themselves and their actions?

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 How do Sartre and Alleg describe the torturers as justifying themselves and their actions?

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Sartre and Alleg describe the torturers as justifying their actions by framing themselves as defenders of a more significant cause, often under the guise of national security or the necessity of war. For example, Alleg illustrates this through the character of Lieutenant Mazza, who, despite expressing personal sympathy and admiration for Alleg's resistance, nonetheless participates in and justifies the torture as a means to an end in the context of the Algerian War. Mazza's attitude reflects a belief that extreme measures, including torture, were necessary to maintain French control over Algeria and combat what they perceived as a threat to their national interests​​.

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The torture that Alleg experienced was systematic in that paratroopers were intentional in their actions. In The Question, Alleg describes the many ways the paratroopers tortured him and others. They were electrocuted, beaten, and dehydrated. The purpose was to get information from them. Since they tortured so many people, the paratroopers had a systematic way of doing so in an attempt to get the information they wanted. This would imply that the torture methods were a policy and not just the product of a few “bad apples.”

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Torture was seemingly systematic with the evidence of methods, and how the soldiers of paratroopers, particularly the 10th division, moved Allegg and other prisoners methodically from building to building. In the first building, Allegg experienced electrical and water torture via use of boards. The second building saw the use of a mattress, electrical torture, and the use of experimental "truth" drugs. Throughout all of this, Allegg saw himself the victim of physical assault and verbal abuse. However, some soldiers had more kindness, but overall the group consensus was that these methods were acceptable and maybe even necessary to quall Algerian resistance to French occupation.

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Although both Sartre and Alleg express that torture is obviously terrible and inhuman in The Question, they feel it is important to understand that this is just a part of the human condition. Sartre explains that with the current condition of humanity, torture is expected and often "required" (xliv) in certain circumstances. This was a period of extreme violence and hatred among humans, so these torturers are doing what they feel they need to do. Alleg also describes this torture as these men's "work"(48), and they perform it as anyone else would perform their own jobs. This is not to say that these torturers are good people or in a good line of work, but rather they are simply victims of the brutal and hate-filled world that they are accustomed to. Alleg makes it clear to describe the actions of the torture savage rather than the people performing the torture.

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The torture that Alleg went through was a systematic torture. A very important thing to consider when analyzing the system is the methods the torturers used to keep the prisoners alive. The electrocution methods are a prime example of this. They demonstrated somewhat of an art to keeping him fully awake during these electrocutions. This is important to note because it's a great way of showing how they were trying to get information out of him. If this wasn't systematic Alleg wouldn't have described the torture as being a routine like experience. The methods that were used seemed to be repeated and this makes it seem as though they're common practice.

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It becomes very apparent that the torture that Alleg and others were subjected to was systematic in nature. The ploy of psychological and physical torture (shocking, depravation, physical harm, etc.) that these people endured was organized and structured to an extent. The paras had a job to do: get information. They would go about this in a variety of ways not absent of pure, cruel tactics. I would speculate that there was some sort of learned or written method behind the way they tortured prisoners, although some took cruelty beyond that. Most difficult to here was when Alleg stated, "The cries of suffering were part of the familiar noises...None of the paras paid any attention to it, but I don't believe that there was a single prisoner who did not, like myself, cry from hatred and humiliation on hearing the screams of the torture for the first time" (68). The excerpt really illustrates the psychological torture at play and coldness of the paras, albeit not all.

The process just seemed too structured to be random in nature.

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I feel the various torture methods employed by the paratroopers provide evidence to show this system was systematic and desgined to inflict as much pain before revealing the truth. There seems to be a progression system of sorts, as seen in the various rooms and the switching of prisoners. The organzaiton between various rooms and methods, the estblished location, and past prisoner experiance all demonstrate the systematic torture of these prisoners. Had the torture been more so impromptu or disorganzied, there would be an argument that the paras were just thrown into this situation. Instead the paras are adpated to it, their methods are refined and they essentially have learned to become efficient tortuerers. Overall, the structure and how the torture was carried out points to an inplace and organized system, from the waterboarding, to the injection, all of these methods were employed to extract information in the most painful way.

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Colonialism is based on racial ideals that demean the colonized. This dehumanization makes it easier for torturers to justify their behavior since they do not regard their victims as equals but as lesser beings. This racial aspect is also highlighted in Alleg's account of his torture at the hands of French military. Algerians were mostly Muslim and of a different ethnicity than French colonists, which added a layer of racial prejudice to the violence. This racism was deeply embedded in the colonial system and contributed in justifying and carrying out the torture.

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What do Sartre and Alleg write about the role of racism play in torture?

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What do Sartre and Alleg write about the role of racism play in torture?

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We can see in this section that there is a sort of dehumanization of non-europeans. Alleg explains that he was treated better than others due to him being European. On page 41, his torturer says "now listen, the lieutenant is giving you time to think, but afterwards you'll talk. When we have a European we look after him better than the 'wogs'". The author also explains in the preface that "Torture is imposed by the circumstances and required by racial hatred; in some ways it is the essence of the conflict and expresses its deepest truth." These examples show the deeply embedded role racism plays when it comes to torture.

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The torture that Henri Alleg experienced while imprisoned was most certainky systematic, which can be seen in the methods of torture that he underwent. There were multiple different kinds that would use different types of pain and discomfort such as electricity, thirst, beatings and so on. Also, the torturers themselves were not just a "few bad apples" they were the product of the French military machine as touched on by Sartre in the preface when he wrote "they will all leave in turn, and if the war contineus, others will replace them." This clearly shows that the torture Alleg experienced was systematic.