Since Spencer Ackerman Asked...

Spencer Ackerman's looking for anti-torture conservatives that are willing to stand up to those who ruined my party's honor and good name.

So: I'm a conservative*, and I think that torture is immoral, illegal, and, oh yeah, entirely useless as a means of interrogation. Even if it worked perfectly, it wouldn't be justified. Ever. 

There is no outcome that can justify the government of the people endorsing waterboarding, or repeatedly locking someone in a dark room with their greatest fear. Torture doesn't preserve the health of the people; it makes them parties to monstrosity. 

I have a lot of way-more-brilliant conservative friends. Some of them are genuinely brilliant writers whose names you've heard of; I'm not going to out them, but in the days to come, I'll ask some of them to contribute their own thoughts on why torture's wrong.

*According to my friends, "no I'm not!" But I'm certain that I'm at least philosophically conservative, gosh darn it.