This article argues that the variation in the use of torture as a mechanism of state terror-ism can be best explained by recent changes in the global economy, the increasing influ-ence of liberal-democratic political ideology, and the advent of anti-state Islamic terrorism. Specifically, although the use of state torture as a matter of policy is widespread, as societies shift from an agrarian society to an industrial and an advanced capitalist society, the disutility of policies of state torture increases primarily due to economic interdependence, the distribution of wealth, minimum standards of living, and the influence of the global media and the international community. While advanced liberal, capitalist states have employed state tortur...