Between the abuse of "enemy combatants" and the Patriot Act there isn't much in tha lot of difference between the way the US behaves and the totalitarian regimes of the 20th Century.

Yes, there is.

A totalitarian regime would have shoveled the kid into a mass grave. You do remember mass graves, right? I get so goddam furious at statements like this.

Our "abuse" of enemy combatants is lauded by the prisoners as the best living they've had in years. Did you even read that entire Guardian article? And you and others have to invent mythical "phantom victims" to talk about the Patriot Act. Complain about the issues if you want, but draw an equivalence like that and you are completely full of shit.