Ok, so the more complex answer to the question is this...
Yes, these are desperate times, as buzz pointed out, we have an enemy who is not just against our miltary and wanting to torture to gain valuable intel, but one who is torturing because they think we "deserve" it for being a US citizen or a non believer of Islam, or simply to put their little terrorist cell in the MSM to get attention. Were the days of yesterday desperate times? You bet they were, but what would the torture have gained (if it has been proved we didnt), the enemies we sought after years ago were not hiding in the shadows like todays, the enemy was distinct, it was clear who they were, what they wanted, and what we needed to do. Todays enemies are hiding in the shadows, acting like civilians, popping up one day as a terrorist with a homemade bomb and the next day walking to work as a regular citizen. It is no longer "easy" to tell who is who and who is working for the enemy.
Second, I am just an average citizen with access to mainly the major news outlets, do you think that any of us, except those privy to the information, and probably not allowed to discuss it, who know who the US has tortured in the past and to what lengths they were willing to go? This is not some crazy conspiracy, but I assume we dont know everything that happened then and I am sure we dont know to what extent some of our gov't would go to today.
Lastly, this is a VERY slippery slope, if you allow some things as ways to gain intel, where do you draw the line? I know what I feel about this interrogation technique, but on others I dont know.