Whether the degree of pain is important  Section  torture is defined as severe pain or suffering which means there exist levels of pain and suffering which are not severe enough to be called torture  This needs attribution because it is a point which is hotly disputed if only in the Western world The split is roughly even with US Liberals saying there is no distinction ie rough interrogation is torture and US Liberals saying there is a significant differenc  Based on their different views liberals and conservatives sharply disgree on matters of policy and legislation I recall some sort of resolution in one of the houses of Congress on this in the form blank is torture and Bush has to make Rumsfield stop it