Torture versus collateral damage; the bigger evil?

[Backwards Observer]

why have they lost their moral foundation?

Don't ask me. I just work here.

In sum, the study found, power doesn’t corrupt; it heightens pre-existing ethical tendencies. Which brings to mind another maxim, from Abraham Lincoln: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

Why Power Corrupts. - Smithsonian - Oct, 2012.