James Risen

Those who preach a “New Order” which is no more than a projection of the tendencies of the last forty years, and who can think of nothing better than to imitate Hitler.  It is, indeed, those who cry loudest for the New Order who are most completely under the sway of the ideas which have created this war and most of the evils from which we suffer.

– F.A. Hayek in The Road to Serfdom

In a story that sounds like it could’ve come straight from the archives of Nazi Germany, a new report has just been released claiming that the American Psychological Association (APA) collaborated with the George W. Bush administration to justify the C.I.A. torture program.

It’s even worse than it sounds though. In 2004, following the publication of the grotesque photos depicting abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, the U.S. government’s torture program was coming under increased scrutiny and criticism from all sides. In fact, it became so questionable, even C.I.A. director George Tenet began to have concerns. So much so that he “signed a secret order suspending the agency’s use of the enhanced techniques, while asking for a policy review to make sure the program still had the Bush administration’s backing.”

This is where the American Psychological Association came to the aid of torture supporters everywhere. A private meeting was quickly held, which ended up justifying the role of psychologists in torture sessions. The following year, the APA issued guidelines that reaffirmed that it was acceptable for its members to be involved in the interrogation program.

But don’t take my word for it. The New York Times reports:

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