QUOTE OF THE DAY
"From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August." - - Andrew H. Card JR., White House Chief Of Staff
(On why the Bush Administration waited until September to press for public support of its Iraq policy.)
RHINO HERE: Every once in a while, when some of my friends insist we do need to nip Saddam in the bud before he turns into the 21st century's 3rd Reich, conjuring visions of 9/11 like events across the country, I wonder if maybe this time a war is necessary to make the world a better place. This in spite of my conscientious objector declaration at age 19 and consequent 30 year commitment to non-violence. But then comes the realization flooding back in that there's so much hypocrisy in the so called "War on Terror" supposedly being waged by shrub & co. When you really examine their actions and the results they say they are seeking, things simply don't add up. They SAY they're out to preserve liberty and democracy, but so much of what they DO is resulting in the opposite.
As Jimmy Carter says in his Washington Post essay of last week (excerpted and linked below) "...a core group of conservatives who are trying to realize long-pent-up ambitions under the cover of the proclaimed war against terrorism... have ignored or condoned abuses in nations that support our anti-terrorism effort, while detaining American citizens as "enemy combatants," incarcerating them secretly and indefinitely without their being charged with any crime or having the right to legal counsel... These actions are similar to those of abusive regimes that historically have been condemned by American presidents."
Also, for a brief summary of freedoms being stripped away by the so called Patriot Act, check last weeks AP article, "Overview of Changes to Legal Rights".
* FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION: Government may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity to assist terror investigation.
* FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: Government has closed once-public immigration hearings, has secretly detained hundreds of people without charges, and has encouraged bureaucrats to resist public records requests.
* FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone that the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation.
* RIGHT TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION: Government may monitor federal prison jailhouse conversations between attorneys and clients, and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes.
* FREEDOM FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCHES: Government may search and seize Americans'papers and effects without probable cause to assist terror investigation.
* RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL: Government may jail Americans indefinitely without a trial.
* RIGHT TO LIBERTY: Americans may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them.
8:26:40 AM
|