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Is the use of torture as an interrogation technique ever justified? The politically correct scenario to justify "enhanced interrogation techniques" is a captured terrorist with information about an imminent 9/11-scale attack. Most people believe it is obvious that to save many hundreds or thousands of lives, nearly any method used to gain the information to thwart the attack would be justified. High ranking Bush administration officials have publicly stated that this exact scenario was real, and such techniques stopped a planned terrorist attack in Los Angeles, saving an untold number of lives. Case closed.

Not really. Politics trumps reason, logic, common sense and intelligence combined. The Obama administration can gain political points, appease the George Soros far-left fanatics and gain international acclaim by politicizing this debate. The criminalization and potential prosecution of Bush administration lawyers, interrogators and high ranking officials hang in the balance at the time of this writing while the politician-philosopher wannabes and journalist-philosopher wannabes argue one side or the other. At the same time, Congressional Democrats claim ignorance and seemingly admit not paying attention to briefings for several years where Congressional Republicans say details were clearly outlined to resounding and nearly universal approval. Some Democrats call for hearings so Republican heads will roll (figuratively), while Republicans insist the fingers point back at the Democrats and say that committee attendance records and transcripts will prove it.

So much debate, so little progress. All of this leaves the average American knowing just three things. First, we weren't attacked again during the Bush years, when these techniques were used. Secondly and thirdly, Democratic Congressional leaders don't read bills before they vote on them, and they don't listen in important committee meetings.

The issue is really quite simple. Three words explain it all deterrence, love and pre-emption.

The entire Cold War was about deterrence. Hurt us and you are guaranteed to get hurt back. Mutually Assured Destruction, in terms of nuclear arms, told the first attacker that things, places and people he loved would also be destroyed, with a high likelihood that he himself would be killed. Deterrence works only through fear of losing something loved. The American judicial system works the same way. The threat of losing much loved freedom or life itself deters criminal acts.

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