I am truly confused. This post does not endorse either side.
I just would like to note something about my cognitive process here: in the “step by step” argument, what I seem to be thinking is “rigorously the same torture” and “for more people”. The argument may be sound, but it does not seem to be hitting my brain in a sound way
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma#The_iterated_prisoners.27_dilemma
(just an example of such a disconnect, not a general defence of disconects)