1115.org

Reuters:

The number of Americans who would condone torture, at least when used on terrorists in order to save lives, has risen over the past two years and now stands at over 40 percent, according to a new opinion poll.

I’ve always wondered what people who took this stand were thinking in their heads as the question was asked. And this morning, quite suddenly, I was vouchsafed the following vision:
Dimly lit cell, perhaps in a secret prison. An enhanced interrogation specialist, several gallons of water in hand, bent over a nude, shackled figure, with wires attached to his armpits and genitals. Dogs barking close at hand. In the corner stands God Himself. The E.I.S. asks God: “Is he a terrorist, and will lives be saved if I torture him?” Sometimes, God regretfully shakes his head, and says, “No, my son.” Sometimes, he jumps up and down in glee, and goes: “Yes, and yes! And bless you, my son, for what you are about to do in my name.”

When people condone torture, at least when used on terrorists in order to save lives, this is the scenario that 86% of them picture in their minds.

(Just an idle speculation: What would the response be if the question was: “Would you condone torture if it was used by the Bush administration on a person they consider to be a terrorist in the belief that it might save lives?”)