coreutils don't accept time_t value

[Volker Kuhlmann]

It used to be possible with the coreutils to convert a time_t value, as
produced by date +%s, back into a time which can be used by date and
touch:

> date -u -d "70-1-1 00:00:`date +%s`"
date: invalid date `70-1-1 00:00:1146711463'
> date --version
date (GNU coreutils) 5.3.0

> date-5.2.1 -u -d "70-1-1 00:00:`date +%s`"
Thu May  4 02:58:47 UTC 2006
> date-5.2.1 --version
date (coreutils) 5.2.1

This makes coreutils 5.3.0 unable to do time stamp modifications with,
or at least I can't see a way to do it. Can this situation please be
remedied?

Thanks + greetings,

Volker

-- 
Volker Kuhlmann <address@hidden>,  http://volker.dnsalias.net/