American Methods: Torture and the Logic of Domination

by Kristian Williams

When the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke in April 2004, many American commentators expressed shock. But, as The Progressive’s Anne-Marie Cusac observed, “Abu Ghraib shock[s] us because our soldiers abroad seem to have acted out behaviors that we condone, yet don’t face up to, at home.” On the heels of Our Enemies in Blue, Kristian Williams’ controversial chronicle of policing, the writer/activist gives us American Methods, once again upsetting the notion that the use of “excessive force” by the state is aberrant rather than altogether American.

American Methods reveals torture not as a recent or rogue phenomenon, but a veteran tool of the American state. As Williams suggests, torture is not, as claimed, a means of interrogation used only by others, elsewhere. Instead, it is a tried-and-true weapon of social control and terror, right here in the US.

Unlike other recent books, American Methods locates “war on terror” scandals in the systems of inequities and dominance that nurture them. Williams pays close attention to the distinct character of American torture and its gender and racial contours—particularly its emphasis on sexual violence, emasculation, and spectacle. His discussion ranges over much of the globe and a quarter-century: from US support of torture-regimes in Central America in the 1980s to today’s more favored approach—outsourcing torture to “friendly governments.” Returning to our shores, Williams observes the banality of violence in American prisons, precincts, and society. Ultimately, he offers devastating conclusions about the centrality of rape, racism, and conquest to both the state and our national culture.

Kristian Williams' writings have appeared in CounterPunch, Columbia Journalism Review, and We Are Everywhere: The Irresistible Rise of Global Anti-Capitalism. A member of Rose City Copwatch in Portland, Oregon, Williams also authored Our Enemies in Blue (2004).

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, United States

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

member of Rose City Copwatch in Portland, Oregon, and of the National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981)

Reviews

[Nara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is brilliant. Disturbing, but brilliant. Kristian Williams (author of Our Enemies In Blue) takes us through America's history of using torture. The initial chapters are seriously excellent, as they lay theoretical groundwork for what torture is and who does it, covering the Stanley Milgram's infamous Stanford Experiment and other explorations of human reactions to authority and brutality. I've known Kristian for years (full disclosure) and his scholarship and dedication to exploring issues of power and violent social injustice is unparalleled. His writing is good too; layman-comprehensible while being fairly thorough. His far-left bias isn't hidden, but it's pretty well-supported within the text, and as I share it, it doesn't bother me overmuch.

[Grazyna Nawrocka · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is fantastic and well-documented source of information about the subject. It helped me to understand that torture is not about information gathering, but about introducing horror, rape, overpowering, breaking spirit, humiliation and slave training. Many tortured people were never charged with anything. If there is no evidence, why to torture? Stalin and Hitler come to my mind.

[Jen Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exhaustively researched and documented discussion of torture, and the connections between Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and American prisons.

I particularly appreciated the discussion of the moral justifications for torture, the "ticking time bomb" scenario and other generally shady areas...

I also appreciated what it must have taken to write such a book, and I know that Kristian has done some writing on how it haunted him.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book when doing research for a class paper on torture (yeah). The bits and pieces I read then were interesting enough that I decided to read the whole book. Turns out the whole thing is great, but not always easy to get through. Not a topic for everyone (surprise), but a valuable resource when examining torture's place in American foreign and domestic policy.