Quote Originally Posted by cmind View Post
A very similar case was made by Sam Harris recently, and I happen to agree with him. Torture is no more or less barbaric than any act of war. Why is it OK to blow someone up with high explosive, but not torture them?
I'd say primarily because, unlike a war that's waged in self-defense or as a corrective measure (eg. Allies against the Axis in WWII), torture doesn't accomplish much of anything. No reliable information can be obtained by pulling teeth, nor can any government reasonably criticize a criminal for solving their problems through acts of murder, if, at the same time, the government is solving it's own problems through means that are just as brutal and destructive. It essentially undermines the legitimacy of the state, leaving it no grounds - moral or otherwise - to claim rightful authority.