[rzr]

Ok, devonin, let's look at it scientifically:

I have two white lab rats. I have four doors. I seperate the rats. Each sat gets two doors. The scenarios are identical: one door is guarded by an invisible electric fence, the other has a slice of Swiss cheese behind it.
Rat A tries to open door 1. He is electrictued. He tries again. Same result. Again. Same result. Finally he tries the other door. He gets the cheese. He no longer tries door 1.

A murderer/rapist/robber etc is put in a dungeon. There is no light. There is no clean air. There is no indoor plumbing. They eat their own feces. They drink their own urine. They see nothing. Every morning a man comes to them and slices a pattern into their genitals. Every evening a different man comes to them and pours boiling water over their naked body. They are released.
Prior to all that they are told that for committing the crime that is their punishment.

Well, something tells me they won't do it again (subtracting the factor of mental insanity etc).



*I know that was graphic, but hopefully it made my point. Torture could be a perfectly effective, not reasonable, but effective, method of enforcing laws.