need to add title here

Hard Measures, Hooked

April 29, 2012 8:00 PM

Jose Rodriguez, the former head of the CIA's Clandestine Service, defends the "enhanced interrogation techniques" used on high-level al Qaeda detainees; And, Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, has revolutionized how science and medicine view addiction.

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by MannyHM February 26, 2013 2:51 PM EST
The problem with "Enhanced Interrogation Technique" is that when the technician started to enjoy doing it rather than uncovering the secret.
I think President Obama was correct in questioning the effectiveness of this approach which led him to use real intelligence method that led to Osama Bin Laden and the use of drones without jeopardizing American lives.
The story of Jose Rodriguez is unverifiable because it's classified. What we know however is that KSM misled him about Osama bin Laden.
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by gbsjake May 15, 2012 4:32 PM EDT
Thank God for George Bush and thank God for Jose. These people saved lives. Ask KSM if he'd rather have a Hellfire down his throat or water, I think I know which one he'd choose. If anybody really thinks this is torture, I ask them: remember how you felt aftet 9\11? You think you went to bed that night and said "well, at least we dont torture." No, we wanted whatever done so it didnt happen again. And, we would have given anything to made it never happen. Our memories are too short.
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by Samanthasmarty May 12, 2012 10:32 AM EDT
I was wondering if there was a transcript for the segment above?
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by rockyruggiero May 9, 2012 3:52 PM EDT
Jose is honest and so much more. I'm surprised Leslie was so antagonistic against this guy who is obviously transparent and runs things by the book. I have news for you Leslie....(and, let me say I think you are a fabulous reporter and person) you are waaaay wrong on this one. Why are you pandering to the left soooo much? Has the US stopped being a push over country to a fault? Yes. Unfortunately we are Leslie. Did you think 30 years ago the airline industry would make you take off your shoes? No. But, guess what Leslie...they had to change. Can you blame them? So why can't you understand that ugly times come for ugly situations? Do we just sit there and do nothing? I'm an Obama fan...but, him saying no torture is a huge mistake.
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by Scarlettoftoday May 2, 2012 11:37 PM EDT
I am not a scientist who has spent years in medical research, but speaking from personal experience, all of the addicts that I have known in my life, their choice to become addicted was based upon their home environment. Peer pressure, the need to escape an unhappy or poor life, or the culture of their time. For instance, my greatgrandfather made moonshine as a way to support a large family living in poverty. My mother became a smoker because she grew up on a farm where everyone did it. My siblings became alcoholics or prescription drug users because they had unhappy marriages. As for me, I knew from the time that I was a small child watching 2 parents smoking cigarettes and how irritable that they were when they were out, made me determined not to become an addict. It is all about choice. You are not destined to become addicted unless you choose to be. Sure, I have tried alcoholic beverages while out with friends and opiates after surgery, but none of these substances made me crave more of them. I can 'just say no' and make more constructive use of my time. It would be great if science could find a solution to addiction, but the alcoholic beverage companies and prescription drug companies, I am sure, do not want addiction cured.
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by artc52 April 30, 2012 10:27 PM EDT
Dr. Umanoff, you know very well that Dr. Volkow's theory is very logical especially in regards to the over prescribing of Opiates. We need only look at the devastation of the Opium Wars in China. Opium leads to an increase in tolerance which leads to a need for more and more just to feel normal, that includes our favorite "Vicodin". We and our fellow medical professionals need to quit allowing drug companies to educate us and and advocate for the study of addiction. It is the least we can do as medical professionals who have helped create the massive prescription drug problem. Yes, we wrote our share of those prescriptions. We have to admit our ignorance and learn from it. Your theory is ancient history, Dr. Volkow has the current and more valid theory. Lets quit getting defensive because we can't admit that we played a part in this epidemic. What we need to do is push for all medical schools to update and include addiction studies in medical school. 210,000,000 prescriptions!!!! Your theory is that all the victims of this epidemic were just "those poor defected souls who are genetically predisposed" and yes to a small extent that might be true but come on!!!that would not account for the numbers who are affected by this problem. Thank God we have people like Dr. Volkow who care are brave enough to speak the truth for the sake of mankind. This epidemic is a good example of how capitalism and medicine don't work.
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by hypoicok1946 April 30, 2012 12:27 PM EDT
As usual, Dr. Volkow has misled the CBS interviewer and the American public. She states that addiction occurs when any person voluntarily uses an addictive drug because the drug changes the brain into an addicted brain. The more dopamine released, the more addicted the person is. This is called the hijacked brain hypothesis (HBH). The HBH has been disproven many years ago and Volkpw knows this. The true facts based on real and valid science are 1) Only a very small percentage of people who use addictive drugs actually get addicted. 2) The people who do get addicted have a strong family history of addictions. 3) Heritability studies have long shown that all addictions studied in identical twins and adoptees have high heritabilities, over 60% (not 50% as Volkow always says). If these heritability studies were done correctly (which is not the case up until today) they would show even higher heritabilities approaching 100%. 4) All animal models of addiction have shown that addictions only occur in animals with genetically low dopamine activity in the reward system. Several comparable studies done in humans show that susceptible individuals (high risk for addiction due to family history and other behavioral traits) who are not addicts also have low baseline dopamine activity measured in the PET scan. My paper on addiction causation explains and documents all this: http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/hypoismhypothesis/
Thus, the theory of addiction causation Volkow gave Mr. Safer is absolutely wrong. In order to fix the addiction epidemic, something I imagine CBS wants, we must first acknowledge the correct addiction causation theory, the genetic theory, because only the correct theory (in anything) can possibly lead to correct prevention (which today is 0%) and treatment methods (which today are equal to no treatment). Volkow has been in charge of addictions since younger Bush entered the presidential office. She didn't earn the position but was appointed instead; by Bush no less. Nothing has changed in all this time. In fact addictions have gotten worse under her leadership. The reason for this is that she is pushing the HBH even though it has failed miserably to end the addiction epidemic or even do anything good. By the way, she knows this and is lying to 60 minutes and the rest of the world about it. I wrote my book on addictions (Hypoic's Handbook) in 1996 and she knows all about it being the right paradigm (I presented the Hypoism paradigm to a medical conference at her old job, Brookhaven Labs in 2000. She refused to attend even though she was in the building. I have it on tape. All the most recent science has confirmed my book's hypothesis, even Volkow's work. That science is 180 degrees opposite to the HBH. It's all referenced in the paper whose link is above. Nonetheless Volkow continues to use the disproven theory for conflict of interest motives and is deeply hurting the whole country. You need to interview me to find out how she and her cohorts have consistently lied to the public and congress. This is the biggest medical scandal of all time and your show has conspired to help this fraud be maintained. Please call me and set up an interview.
Dan Umanoff, M.D.
941-926-5209
Reply to this comment
by hypoicok1946 April 30, 2012 12:27 PM EDT
As usual, Dr. Volkow has misled the CBS interviewer and the American public. She states that addiction occurs when any person voluntarily uses an addictive drug because the drug changes the brain into an addicted brain. The more dopamine released, the more addicted the person is. This is called the hijacked brain hypothesis (HBH). The HBH has been disproven many years ago and Volkpw knows this. The true facts based on real and valid science are 1) Only a very small percentage of people who use addictive drugs actually get addicted. 2) The people who do get addicted have a strong family history of addictions. 3) Heritability studies have long shown that all addictions studied in identical twins and adoptees have high heritabilities, over 60% (not 50% as Volkow always says). If these heritability studies were done correctly (which is not the case up until today) they would show even higher heritabilities approaching 100%. 4) All animal models of addiction have shown that addictions only occur in animals with genetically low dopamine activity in the reward system. Several comparable studies done in humans show that susceptible individuals (high risk for addiction due to family history and other behavioral traits) who are not addicts also have low baseline dopamine activity measured in the PET scan. My paper on addiction causation explains and documents all this: http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/hypoismhypothesis/
Thus, the theory of addiction causation Volkow gave Mr. Safer is absolutely wrong. In order to fix the addiction epidemic, something I imagine CBS wants, we must first acknowledge the correct addiction causation theory, the genetic theory, because only the correct theory (in anything) can possibly lead to correct prevention (which today is 0%) and treatment methods (which today are equal to no treatment). Volkow has been in charge of addictions since younger Bush entered the presidential office. She didn't earn the position but was appointed instead; by Bush no less. Nothing has changed in all this time. In fact addictions have gotten worse under her leadership. The reason for this is that she is pushing the HBH even though it has failed miserably to end the addiction epidemic or even do anything good. By the way, she knows this and is lying to 60 minutes and the rest of the world about it. I wrote my book on addictions (Hypoic's Handbook) in 1996 and she knows all about it being the right paradigm (I presented the Hypoism paradigm to a medical conference at her old job, Brookhaven Labs in 2000. She refused to attend even though she was in the building. I have it on tape. All the most recent science has confirmed my book's hypothesis, even Volkow's work. That science is 180 degrees opposite to the HBH. It's all referenced in the paper whose link is above. Nonetheless Volkow continues to use the disproven theory for conflict of interest motives and is deeply hurting the whole country. You need to interview me to find out how she and her cohorts have consistently lied to the public and congress. This is the biggest medical scandal of all time and your show has conspired to help this fraud be maintained. Please call me and set up an interview.
Dan Umanoff, M.D.
941-926-5209
Reply to this comment
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