INSTAPUNDIT: MULTI-NATIONAL POLLS SHOW MAJORITIES FAVOR LIMITED BUT LEGAL TORTURE

The professor posted this:

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT: "Most Americans and a majority of people in Britain, France and South Korea say torturing terrorism suspects is justified at least in rare instances, according to AP-Ipsos polling. . . . In America, 61 percent of those surveyed agreed torture is justified at least on rare occasions. Almost nine in 10 in South Korea and just over half in France and Britain felt that way."

A reader of his - Tom Holsinger - adds: "Majorities say torture should be safe, legal, rare."

I believe that torture should be legal because I believe that the THREAT of torture can be an effective tool -- NOT UNLIKE the threat of the death penalty, which can get a guilty person to plead guilty to a lesser charge (in order to MERELY get a life sentence), or which might get one member of a conspiracy (to commit murder) to turn on/turn in other members - again: in order to save his own skin. Without the death penalty prosecutors have MUCH LESS bargaining power and perps have much less incentive to talk or make a deal.

That's why I agree with the Bush Adminsitration that the CIA should NOT be bound by the anti-torture McCain Amendment: So that a credible threat of torture can be used on select high-value prisoners.