Sure there was. The Federation not splintering.
Yes, Barclay almost lost his job. Ro resigned because Starfleet wasn't doing right by her people.
Ok, this is a poor argument. Torture being bloodless does not make it less than torture. Same with the poor crewman who had an arm removed in First Contact. Picard's personal horror is explored through "Family" and "First Contact" and now Picard.
No blood means torture is totally OK? No, not even a little bit.
The colonists in the DMZ were pretty much abandoned by the Federation even as the Cardassians used military assets against them. Who knows how many lives were lost? The failed colony that Yar grew up on is the same question-how many people died because there was general lawlessness and rape gangs? If that colony in "Up the Long Latter" had not agreed to Picard's demands then that colony would have been lost. And Picard was OK with that.
No one of the above excuses the behavior of Starfleet. But, I do not see the more dystopic bent that others do. At this point, I'll simply leave at agree to disagree.