@Andy Bright
"What is more important, the values and beliefs that give us the so-called moral high ground, or a willingness to do anything at all to save our skins?"
There is no such thing as a "moral high ground" there is only self-satisfaction. Therefore, my answer would be: The latter.
"The reality is the threat from being blown up by terrorists pales into insignificance every time you drive your car on the M-25 or the 305 interstate."
Nonsense. I do everything in my power to mitigate risk when I'm on the road - including making allowance for those who are not qualified to share the road.
"You take your life into your own hands every day, but you're not willing to face the small risk that not torturing someone might end up with the deaths of innocents."
Yes I am. I choose not to because, if that - admittedly - "small risk" results in me being blown to smithereens, having the "moral high ground" isn't going to make me feel even a little bit better.
"I value my country's integrity far more than I value my life."
Wonderful. But please don't make such irrational decisions on my behalf.
"Unfortunately others didn't feel that way and flushed that integrity down the toilet in."
Your country's integrity - no matter which country - is even more imaginary than your "moral high ground". Flushing imaginary things is the province of small children and the deluded.
"I have nothing but contempt for the cowards that did so......"
Congratulations. I imagine, however, that your smugness - along with your "moral high ground" - will vaporise at the very first close call for you or a loved one where you deem that more could've been done by your government to prevent it.
".........and unfortunately the massive recruitment drive going on in the Middle East and Asia seems to indicate they have created a whole bunch of people that feel the same way."
Tired, baseless and utter nonsense. Cart before horse. Neither the government of the country I inhabit nor of the one in which I'm a citizen is the sole cause of the current fad for blowing oneself and those surrounding into teeny little bits. Ignorance, religious mania, brainwashing and economic deprivation account for more influence.
"If the goal was to create 10 times the number of terrorists you've done splendidly."
And, in my book, the sooner we can track down viable suspects, wring the necessary information out of them - by whatever means necessary - and use that information to decimate the rest, the better for everyone in my part of the world.