Torture

[Earthsea Annie]

I recently watched "Munich" and was struck by the following line: "Every civilization finds it necessary to negotiate compromises with its own values."

While I don't doubt this is true, and that such compromises are, at times, necessasry, I do find it odd that some find the need to make the exceptions into the rule. I have far less trouble with the state using torture in exigent circumstances when it feels that it's the best of all possible options (not sure what those circumstances would be, but still) than I do making those circumstances a part of the normal part of "national security."