What we've learnt Extreme Interrogation Techniques

• It is torture. Torture, like a rose, by any other name is still torture
• We all knew it was going on and we all turned a blind eye
• It was systemic. It wasn't just a wink-and-nod kind of thing. There were memos and all sorts of legal instruments to give the doers legal authorization
• You know there's something shady going to when memos are being destroyed. That demonstrates an awareness of wrongdoing.
• We are better than that. If we have to resort to the methods of our enemies, then what are we fighting for?
• "Warrantless wiretapping" is illegal. Period.
• The funny thing is history is replete with warnings about the fallacy of trading freedom for security.
• If this was done by a third world country, you bet the president of that country will be charged with war crimes.
• Eventually, the period of Bush's presidency from 9/12/2001 till he left will be known as the dark days in American history. That along with things like segregation and race inequality.

On the question of whether or not these techniques ("techniques" is so clinical a term for something so God-awful) worked: really what does it matter whether or not they worked! The question is whether they were legal under US constitution. No reasonable person will try to make a case that slavery worked; or that searching a defendant's property without a warrant works. We know these things aren't allowed under the constitution so the question of whether or not they work is a non-starter. 

Bush people will like us to believe these techniques are what kepts up safe from 2002 till now. But is that the best we can do? Is that the lofty standard to which America wants to be held? 

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• Boehner admits Bush admin. used "torture" (americablog.com)
• War Crimes And The Destruction Of Evidence, Ctd (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)