There seems to be a bit of a debate...

...brewing about whether or not waterboarding ultimately led to the killing of Osama bin Laden. Even David Frum, whom I admire, was making the case last night on Real Time with Bill Maher that the Bush Era's "enhanced interrogation techniques" produced information that led to last weekend's raid.

But I think Frum is missing the point. The debate shouldn't be about whether or not waterboarding worked, but rather, should we have done it at all?

And I would argue: No.

First of all, of course steps taken during the Bush years contributed to the raid last weekend. Let's give W. his due and move on. (The fact that President Obama succeeded where Bush failed has to be killing Republicans.) But let's be fair -- no president operates in a vacuum; the federal government has been in continuous operation since 1789. We had an election two years ago, not a revolution.

Next, let's settle something once and for all: is waterboarding torture? From everything I've read, the answer is yes. (Just watch the video above.)

So let's stop using the terms, "waterboarding" and "enhanced interrogation techniques," and just use the word "torture." It's less disingenuous.

And, again, never mind for now whether or not torture "works," let's just ask ourselves the questions: Is it moral? Is it something we should do?

Allow me a little American Exceptionalism for a moment. (Republicans do it all the time; why can't I?) Americans don't torture.

Let me repeat that. Americans don't torture.

Or put another way: Nazis torture; Americans don't. (Shhh! We're better than that.)

So if you're not absolutely sure whether or not something, like waterboarding, is torture -- or just plain ol' garden variety "enhanced interrogation techniques" -- then don't do it. If you're not sure, then it's probably torture. Don't take the chance. And don't have someone in your Justice Department write up some lengthy memo rationalizing it. (Red Flag.) If it isn't torture, you won't feel the need to explain yourself. Just don't do it. You'll feel better about yourself -- and your country.

Because Americans don't torture.