Reply #2: It's a throwback to the bad old days -- A U Turn

[Armstead]

I'm in my mid 50's. Vietnam happened gradually, and then it became intractable. It dominated life for a decade.

This torture bill will not likely change America overnight. But it is a throwback to the bad old days. It reverses the drive to challenge and restrain uncontested power by the Executive branch and the excesses of the military and intelligence establishment.

It's also part of the drip, drip,drip effect. This is basically a matter of having taken 2 steps forward in Constitutional protections since the 70's, but now taking taking 3 steps backwards, in terms of civil liberties and Executive Authoritarianism.

It is zlso horrible symbolism. Although the US has never been lily-white in its behavior, this is the first time in recent hostory that torture is now officially condoned and endorsed as a policy.

As a result of Vietnam and other bad moves by the US (such as support for the fascist Chilean regime) and the abuses by Nixon, there was a movement in the 70's to impose protections against the excesses of the US foreign policy and the excesses of the military and intelligence establishment. There were also limits placed on presidential power.

Those were generally accepted on a bi-partisan basis (i.e. including moderate Republicans) for a little while. Then Reagan and the right wing started to stretch the envelope again (such as Iran Contra) to roll back or undermine those restraints.

It's no accident that this administratioin has been doing this, becauze it is filled with veterans of the Nixon and Reagan eras.