torture, again

Another point from the Republican presidential debate: the candidates all flunked the torture question. Except John McCain. Showing a spark of his integrity remains un-flip-flopped, McCain said in response to the bogus "ticking bomb" question, "We could never gain as much from that torture as we lose in world opinion."

He's right. So are a couple of retired US generals, who agree that in torturing (and in using other hammer-to-kill-a-fly tactics) we create more terrorists than we kill. Heck, even Don Rumsfeld seemed to realize that. Not that he changed his tactics.

Plus, torture does not work (even the Israelis think so, and they aren't exactly shy about being tough) and in addition to the terrible damage it does to our reputation in the Middle East and indeed around the world, it dehumanizes those we ask to torture on our behalf.

And finally remember - a society that becomes comfortable with torturing "terrorists" or the "enemy" may make the transition to applying said tactics to others they may deem a threat. It's a slippery slope; we should keep off it.