@20

stop trying to get Sam Harris to defend a dishonestly constructed strawman of what he said.

I wasn't constructing a straw man. I'm saying the only time torture will turn out to have been the right/ethical action to take will be when it really does save a dire situation - you had the right guy, he had the right information, you got the information and saved the day. I'm not saying that could never happen, but I'm damn sure it doesn't happen anywhere near as often as it's depicted on TV. The science of forensic investigation is nowhere near as precise as it's depicted on TV, either.

Ultimately, if authorities thought they really had a ticking bomb situation and a perp with vital information, I doubt if any set or rules or ethical guidelines would stop them from threatening or doing whatever they thought would work. But they should be prepared to take the consequences afterward.