Both, are huge political legacies of the Cold War: Those include the continuing vindictiveness of the right and the corruption of the left, the use of intelligence to justify bi-partisan concession-tending, and our anglophile, clerical and financial elites' investment in a long-term hire, extra-constitutional military and intelligence establishment.

Neither torture nor warrantless wiretapping were effective prior to 9-11 when all the intelligence necessary to prevent the attack was in hand and readily available to an administration which was, simply, pursuing other matters, undoing whatever progress Clinton might have made dealing with OBL but irritating the Kingdom.

Both torture and wiretapping — essentially boasted of in public — were effective after the attack for intimidating Democrats and preventing serious consideration of the political and bureaucratic failures.

Both matters still have corrupt and cowardly Democrats tied in knots, while the young men and women actually fighting our and others' wars short on practical support, as distinct from the self-serving palaver of our ruling elite.

Both, are huge political legacies of the Cold War: Those include the continuing vindictiveness of the right and the corruption of the left, the use of intelligence to justify bi-partisan concession-tending, and our anglophile, clerical and financial elites’ investment in a long-term hire, extra-constitutional military and intelligence establishment.

Neither torture nor warrantless wiretapping were effective prior to 9-11 when all the intelligence necessary to prevent the attack was in hand and readily available to an administration which was, simply, pursuing other matters, undoing whatever progress Clinton might have made dealing with OBL but irritating the Kingdom.

Both torture and wiretapping — essentially boasted of in public — were effective after the attack for intimidating Democrats and preventing serious consideration of the political and bureaucratic failures.

Both matters still have corrupt and cowardly Democrats tied in knots, while the young men and women actually fighting our and others’ wars short on practical support, as distinct from the self-serving palaver of our ruling elite.