I have interviewed many survivors of the Nazi era and I was always struck by the fact that torture and killing were the official policies of the  German government.We did not accept the common retort “that we were only doing what our lawful superiors were ordering us to do.”We labeled these persons as war criminals and when found we prosecuted them for their crimes.I always felt good that I lived in a country where this kind of policy would never take root. We in America were the brilliant city on the hill that spoke to the world about real ideals and caring. Yet we now know that from the highest office in the land we practiced unspeakable acts of torture and in some cases even murder. 9/11 was horrific but it did not give justification for what was ordered and carried out in secret torture locations. The difference here as opposed to the Nazi criminals is that there are no penalties for these immoral. ,illegal acts. We decry the facts but no one is named and no one will be punished or indicted. This is more than a blemish on who we are and letting these monstrous acts go unpunished is unthinkable. Torture besides the immorality never works and those who experienced it like Johm MsCain are living proof that it is never justified. Shame on the past administration and shame on this one for not having the guts to bring criminal charges against those that ordered it and those that carried it out.