As Churchill commented, the most powerful states will always act like bullies, as the lesser act like whores.

The most disturbing aspect is that the curent occupant of the White House ("torture works" ) - and yesterday's confirmation of a somene who oversaw the routine use of torture in a US black site as head of the CIA - gives tacit permission to repressive regimes everywhere.

At least we can lay to rest Raegan's self-servingly quasi-biblical characterization of the US as that shining city on a hill.

Invasion, exploitation, slavery, genocide.
That is US culture. It's all we have.
Same with some other countries.
So when racists and others claim to want to return to our traditions, they aren't wrong.
It's what were trying to move past though, not embrace.