Do the ends justify the means? Actually it is only the ends that can justify the means; if the ends can't justify them, then nothing can. Of course the means are only justified if the ends are still worth accomplishing with the means added in, and if there are not some markedly better means available. But the great goal of freedom and human progress does often require some rather difficult, and at times unpleasant means.
Bertolt Brecht argues rather powerfully that achieving the goal of human justice is in fact justified by just about any means necessary: