The US has used torture for a long time. The very important difference now is it’s legal. You probably aren’t worried because they only use torture on terrorists, right? Actually, as long as the right person calls you an “enemy combatant,” you have no rights and torture is fair game. So if the president designates you an enemy combatant they can hold you where ever they want, for as long as they want, and do whatever they want. And then, after you’ve admitted to being the Queen of England and giving birth to a fuzzy hippopotamus and planning to blow up an elementary school with sour milk to get them to stop torturing you, they’ll give you a “fair trial.”