"I'm imagining a neighbouring warlord forcing out desperate survivors on raiding missions. Why send your own people when you could force others to do your dirty work for you?"

"Stockholm Syndrome or just plain fear. They're probably more afraid of the warlord than the new group. He/She might be holding hostages or have done something worse than they think this group is going to do. "

"So if I pitty them and help them survive/live. Then they become a future problem/threat. The reason they won't betray the warlord would be the reason they betray you later.
Live with letting them get tortured so your group lives. Or risk death.
Don't sound hard to me."

"So you're all comfy with torture? Good to know. "

"I expect some morals to lapse. As things are right now, if I see someone slap their kid across the face in public, I'd react vehemently. Post-apoc, I don't think I would start something over it.

I don't agree with the death penalty. Post-apoc, I don't really think there's always going to be a choice. Some criminals will need to be executed as a means of survival.

I would never steal. There are food banks, womens shelters and welfare until I could get back on my feet. Post-apoc, I wouldn't have those luxuries to fall back on.

I don't expect things to be warm and fuzzy. But I do need hold onto some vestiges of my humanity or what am I fighting to live for? "

"Maybe I'm just grouchy because I've had no sleep... if so, I'll apologize, and edit things later.

I've been sifting through all of these hypothetical situations this morning, and one main question seems to keep popping into my head: What part of "apocalypse", is warm and fuzzy?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apocalypse
any universal or widespread destruction or disaster: the apocalypse of nuclear war.

Morals will get looser, lines between right and wrong will become blurred, instead of things being "black and white" most will be gray. When competing for resources, people will resort to methods that seem barbaric, or even primal. We do it now as a people in some places. This isn't a new thing. Life is hard, post apoc it will be harder. I believe you will need to be hardened, smart, or both in order to count yourself among the long term survivors. It's quite possible that my strong belief in this is why I am not excited about being part of a large group anyway.

------->"

"Which forms of torture are acceptable?

Plain old beatings with fists or weapons?

Scorching with hot water or tar?

Hunger, thirst and sleep deprivation?

Water boarding, suffocation or strangulation?

Hammering metal nails under fingernails?

Stretching or hanging?

Electric shock?

Force feeding urine and feces?

Rape with an inanimate object such as a knife?

Cutting off digits?

Breaking bones one at a time?

Force them to sit in their own excrement and urine for days?

Really, what is the limit? Are you sure you're comfortable with this taking place in your enclave? You'd be a part of this, even if you didn't actively participate. "