Thursday, March 18, 2010

The USA Is Dead. Long Live The USA!

If this bill by McCain and LIEberman becomes law, in essence formalizing the powers Bush arrogated post-9/11 and later (indefinite detention, no habeas rights,warrantless searches, nonstandard courts with draconian rules for administering "justice," permission to inflict torture, etc.), the President will assume the powers that every dictator from Stalin to Saddam Hussein has exercised... and the United States of America, as the institution envisioned by our Founders and encapsulated in our Constitution, will be effectively dead. Glenn Greenwald:
Meanwhile, the bill recently introduced by Joe Lieberman and John McCain -- the so-called "Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention and Prosecution Act" -- now has 9 co-sponsors, including the newly elected Scott Brown.  It's probably the single most extremist, tyrannical and dangerous bill introduced in the Senate in the last several decades, far beyond the horrific, habeas-abolishing Military Commissions Act.  It literally empowers the President to imprison anyone he wants in his sole discretion by simply decreeing them a Terrorist suspect -- including American citizens arrested on U.S. soil.

Worst of all, according to Greenwald, the introduction of this bill caused... storms of outrage? No: hardly a stir in Congress.

My medical conditions assure that I experience sustained moderately severe pain every moment of every day. That is nothing compared to the pain in my soul at the thought of the legal transformation of the USA into a fascist dictatorship with a violent predisposition. I physically cannot leave the country... hell, I often cannot go to another room... and I cannot abide the thought of living with such a transformation. Suggestions welcome.

(Edited to include the Greenwald quote.)

2 comments:

  1. My, how the country has changed these past few years.

    More downward sliding is in evidence today at democracynow.org, as the recently emasculated Dennis Kucinich explains, in a strangely subdued and at times contradictory manner, his reversal of his former position, which was to support single-payer health care, the Democrat establishment be damned.

    Democracy Now! sicked Ralph Nader on Kucinich. I know you have no affection for Ralph Nader as presidential candidate but he lays down the progressive line here briefly and powerfully.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "... he lays down the progressive line here briefly and powerfully." - terrette

    Nader may be brief, powerful and progressive in his delivery, but he preaches at people like an arrogant asshole, and seems either not to know how his manner affects people not already convinced, or else to think that it doesn't matter, that they can just suck on it if they consider his delivery condescending and rude. Ralph is simply wrong about that. Voters detest being condescended to or preached to like small children, and Ralph never ceases doing one of those two things to people not sold on his positions. Nader is bad for the entire progressive cause, and I wish he would simply stay home.

    ReplyDelete

USING THIS PAGE TO LEAVE A COMMENT

• Click here to view existing comments.
• Or enter your new rhyme or reason
in the new comment box here.
• Or click the first Reply link below an existing
comment or reply and type in the
new reply box provided.
• Scrolling manually up and down the page
is also OK.

Static Pages (About, Quotes, etc.)

No Police Like H•lmes



(removed)