In our own defense, we're idiots

I'm going to ask you to belive I'd drafted a lengthy post about the recent NYT article:

In Adopting Harsh Tactics, No Look at Past Use

Top U.S. officials involved in the adoption of brutal interrogation methods did not investigate the origins of the techniques they approved with little debate.

I did. Seriously.

The general thrust of which was this: Are you f-ing kidding me??

The NYT has interviewed "more than two dozen current and former senior officials of the C.I.A., White House, Justice Department and Congress."

Anonymously.

All are trying to sell the line of crap that everyone greenlighting the adaptation of SERE's torture techniques to interrogating US prisoners never bothered to look into what they were authorizing.

SERE: designed to brutalize US soldiers in preparation for torture at the hands of our enemies. NOBODY thought to look into what techniques are used and if they have historically been viewed as torture?

-But there I go off track.

I was about to write that post, but then I read Charles Kaiser in CJR and figured - screw it, leave it to the pros.

Arrgh!