Bush seeks explicit imperial powers; random linkage
In response to the Supreme Court telling him the authorization of force Congress passed after 9-11 didn't actually create him emperor, Bush has submitted a new "terror detainee bill" which would let him do the things he was trying to do all along. i.e., hold anybody he likes for as long as he likes without any of the usual rights and protections guaranteed to U.S. citizens under that, whatchamacallit, Constitution.
U.S. citizens suspected of terror ties might be detained indefinitely and barred from access to civilian courts under legislation proposed by the Bush administration, say legal experts reviewing an early version of the bill.
A 32-page draft measure is intended to authorize the Pentagon's tribunal system, established shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks to detain and prosecute detainees captured in the war on terror. The tribunal system was thrown out last month by the Supreme Court.
So apparently the Bush administration took the SCOTUS ruling as saying not that his tribunals were unconstitutional, but just that they were not, in fact, authorized by Congress. The administration seems to think that if they just get Congress to rubber stamp these tribunals, they'll be constitutional. I severely doubt that, but with so many of his friends on the Supreme Court, I'm not too surprised Bush is trying.
According to the draft, the military would be allowed to detain all "enemy combatants" until hostilities cease. The bill defines enemy combatants as anyone "engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners who has committed an act that violates the law of war and this statute."
Legal experts said Friday that such language is dangerously broad and could authorize the military to detain indefinitely U.S. citizens who had only tenuous ties to terror networks like al Qaeda.
"Mommy, what was it like to have a Bill of Rights?"
I can't articulate how stupid the usual arguments in favor of this are. Especially the ones where only Very Bad People would be affected by this law anyway, so why not? Forget any passing knowledge of dictatorships around the world, or fascism throughout history, or Kafka, or even why protections against secret trials or sentence without trial were added to our Constitution in the first place. Have these people never heard of six degrees of separationKevin Bacon? Anybody could be linked to terror networks. Moreover, with the ever-expanding definition of terrorism these days, environmentalists who've only caused property damage, or Democrats who support Ned Lamont, can be tarred with that brush. I'm pretty sure writing this post could make me a "terrorist", if only Bush and Co. are allowed to decide. Jesus fuck, people.
**
Some recent links I failed to pass on when I first saw them, but are worth checking out:
Senior Iraqi officials now say the breakup of the country is inevitable.
The Bush administration is a boon to Al-Qaeda.
More about Israel possibly using white phosphorus on civilians.
Jawad Najem, a surgeon at the hospital, said patients admitted Sunday had burns from phosphorus incendiary weapons used by Israel. The Geneva Conventions ban using white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against civilian populations and in air attacks against military forces in civilian areas. Israel said its weapons comply with international law.
Think that "grassroots" campaign in favor of clear-cutting Yellowstone or that letter to the editor praising the energy companies looks a little suspect? SourceWatch tracks "astroturfing" groups that pretend to be spontaneous people-driven movements, and lets you know who signs that expert's paycheck. It has a wiki format to search groups, and a Spin of the Day feature. Good stuff. (Apparently that AOL employee who refused to cancel an account was just following the employee manual.)
As an example of astroturfing, Save Our Species Alliance is a group committed to convincing people that the Endangered Species Act needs to be changedgutted. It's a front for the timber industry.
Diebold voting machines are even worse than we thought, in that they are designed to be untraceably hacked. Funny, I knew that, since computer experts have been privately saying so for years.
The health consequences for the 9-11 rescuers, and how they've been forgotten. Remember 9-11! Except if the topic actually has to do with 9-11.
U.S. citizens suspected of terror ties might be detained indefinitely and barred from access to civilian courts under legislation proposed by the Bush administration, say legal experts reviewing an early version of the bill.
A 32-page draft measure is intended to authorize the Pentagon's tribunal system, established shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks to detain and prosecute detainees captured in the war on terror. The tribunal system was thrown out last month by the Supreme Court.
So apparently the Bush administration took the SCOTUS ruling as saying not that his tribunals were unconstitutional, but just that they were not, in fact, authorized by Congress. The administration seems to think that if they just get Congress to rubber stamp these tribunals, they'll be constitutional. I severely doubt that, but with so many of his friends on the Supreme Court, I'm not too surprised Bush is trying.
According to the draft, the military would be allowed to detain all "enemy combatants" until hostilities cease. The bill defines enemy combatants as anyone "engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners who has committed an act that violates the law of war and this statute."
Legal experts said Friday that such language is dangerously broad and could authorize the military to detain indefinitely U.S. citizens who had only tenuous ties to terror networks like al Qaeda.
"Mommy, what was it like to have a Bill of Rights?"
I can't articulate how stupid the usual arguments in favor of this are. Especially the ones where only Very Bad People would be affected by this law anyway, so why not? Forget any passing knowledge of dictatorships around the world, or fascism throughout history, or Kafka, or even why protections against secret trials or sentence without trial were added to our Constitution in the first place. Have these people never heard of six degrees of separationKevin Bacon? Anybody could be linked to terror networks. Moreover, with the ever-expanding definition of terrorism these days, environmentalists who've only caused property damage, or Democrats who support Ned Lamont, can be tarred with that brush. I'm pretty sure writing this post could make me a "terrorist", if only Bush and Co. are allowed to decide. Jesus fuck, people.
**
Some recent links I failed to pass on when I first saw them, but are worth checking out:
Senior Iraqi officials now say the breakup of the country is inevitable.
The Bush administration is a boon to Al-Qaeda.
More about Israel possibly using white phosphorus on civilians.
Jawad Najem, a surgeon at the hospital, said patients admitted Sunday had burns from phosphorus incendiary weapons used by Israel. The Geneva Conventions ban using white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against civilian populations and in air attacks against military forces in civilian areas. Israel said its weapons comply with international law.
Think that "grassroots" campaign in favor of clear-cutting Yellowstone or that letter to the editor praising the energy companies looks a little suspect? SourceWatch tracks "astroturfing" groups that pretend to be spontaneous people-driven movements, and lets you know who signs that expert's paycheck. It has a wiki format to search groups, and a Spin of the Day feature. Good stuff. (Apparently that AOL employee who refused to cancel an account was just following the employee manual.)
As an example of astroturfing, Save Our Species Alliance is a group committed to convincing people that the Endangered Species Act needs to be changedgutted. It's a front for the timber industry.
Diebold voting machines are even worse than we thought, in that they are designed to be untraceably hacked. Funny, I knew that, since computer experts have been privately saying so for years.
The health consequences for the 9-11 rescuers, and how they've been forgotten. Remember 9-11! Except if the topic actually has to do with 9-11.