A recent survey by the BBC shows what percentage of people in a country feel alright about torture of prisoners:
Even in a freedom-loving country such as the United States, 36% feel alright about some level of torture (note: 36% is not an insignificant amount even if it’s not the majority). I’m even more surprised with India, where those against all torture are the minority and do not even make up half of the world-wide average. What causes people to think torture is okay, even in free societies?
Update: After reading the previous question, some readers have emailed me asking what freedom has to do with torture and I’ll try to make what I meant clearer. Respect for human rights changes closely with the level of freedom enjoyed by people. A free society guarantees fundamental rights which cannot be taken away from its citizens. These are rights including liberty (speech, gathering, etc.), equality, security (against murder, torture, rape and other crimes), and in some cases, access to welfare (basic education, health, etc.). If you look at the countries which are known for the worst track record in human rights, you will find that these are also not free societies.
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