Mostly about my amusement

Tag: constitution (page 1 of 1)

It’s like they were angry or something

Saw this a couple of days ago.

Since 2002, 61 former detainees have committed or are suspected to have committed attacks after being released from the detention camp, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said at a briefing Tuesday.

via Pentagon: Ex-Gitmo detainees resume terror acts – CNN.com.

This is news?

This is going to be used by people who just saw the season opener of 24 to say “See!! Jack’s right!!” or something.  One of the big problems with GITMO is that holding people for years and mistreating them usually means that they wont join the America’s Fan Club when they get out. Yes, many of the people are murderers, but this was not the way to deal with them in the past and it still isn’t.

Gitmo was always a bad idea.  Despite the administration (only days left!) claiming that they obtained good intelligence out of that place, even Kiefer Sutherland admits that torturing someone will mean that they’ll just say anything to make it stop.

Now President-elect Obama is commiting to cleaning up this mess and the sooner the better. No matter what he does there are going to be upset people, liberal and conservative, who will accuse him of either coddling terrorist or selling out the constitution.

The Senate rolls over and plays dead

President Nixon Bush got what he wanted: Senate bows to Bush, approves surveillance bill.

The news article mentions that the old FISA rules were a problem, and that Congress did not want to deal with this in an election year.  Even Senator Obama folded on this one.

I guess his ambition is greater than his morals.  “Vote for change”, what nonsense.

King George must be pleased to have such tame pets.  It was never demonstrated that there was any issue with using the old FISA rules.  It was only an issue because the Bush Cheney administration wanted more power.

The current administration does not want this law passed because they need it.  They don’t torture people because they need to.  They don’t disregard the Constitution because they need to.  They don’t eliminate habeas corpus* because they need to.

They do all these things because they can.

I’m pissed again, I really can’t wait till January 20th to welcome our new king.

*Some people may think that habeas corpus was something denied only to non-American citizen away from our shores.  The fact is, this administration grabbed an American in an airport in Chicago and then John Ashcroft bragged about it from Moscow.  That American, who may have been the most vile scum, was held for years and subjected to abuse before the administration moved him where the law says he should have been.  If they can do this to the worst, they can do this to anyone.

Same old political pandering

Telcom immunity: I’ll wait to see if the Democrats sold out the constitution again, but I’m willing to bet they did.  No politician has any principles during an election year.

Update: Crooks and Liars has more, but it looks like it’s a done deal.  These Democrats are not Blue Dogs, they are Blue Cowards.  All it takes is the President to say something is legal and game over, you have no rights.

Anything from detaining American citizens, torturing people, to spying on our own population is allowed.  All it takes is for a brown shirt government employee to say “War on Terror” and for the President to say “this is legal”.  No one is held accountable, no one has to deal with the consequences of their actions.

When the Democrats opposed blanket immunity I was thinking that maybe these dark days are closing.  It was all a scam; the Democrats are up for election too.

I’m upset and I can’t wait for January 20th, 2009.  Even if it’s McCain at least we’ll get a new king.