crooksandliars.com — 135 years to the day after the last American President suspended habeas corpus, President Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The legislation allows Bush or Rumsfeld to declare anyone, US citizen or not, an enemy combatant, lock them up and throw away the key without a chance to prove their innocence in a court of law.
Oct 18, 2006 View in Crawl 4
mike2312Oct 18, 2006
*YAWN*No one will ever abuse this law, I mean we should always trust those that we elect to always have our best interests at heart. There has never been a ruler to ever abuse their power, or wrongly imprison anyone. And anyways why shouldn't we be able to torture anyone? What's wrong with torture? I mean come on people just because you would admit to dressing up as a little school girl and getting spanked to keep someone from drilling holes in your knees doesn't mean it shouldn't be used as a viable means of interrogation.
corvidaeOct 18, 2006
Actually Palpatine was modeled after the route a hundred other dictators have risen to power. From Rome to Germany to Cuba to South Korea. The details differ, but the general themes all run prallel. Fear of real or imagined threats used to manipulate the people into agreement. Sometimes it's internal police, sometimes it's external terrorists, pirates or nations. The end result is the same.Demonize an opponent, in this case terrorists, for Palpatine it was seperatists. It could be runaway man eating jellyfish, doesn't matter much. Instill a fear that der leader is the supposedly only able to deal with. Occasionaly feed the fear fires, while taking apart obstacles to your power piece by piece. If you can bring in a military coup, you do the same thing in reverse, take the power by force, then demonize an opponent to solidify support, occasionaly handing out little pieces of authority to loyalists.Lets face it, Bush actually used the words 'Unitary Executive' in a signing statement. He thinks he's a dictator, or should at least have the powers of a dictator.
dtschweOct 18, 2006
Simply because it has not happened does not mean it won't. Power is made to be abused.
zero123Oct 19, 2006
I'm just so disappointed in the Supreme Court. I feel their silence and that disappoints me. Congress, the President....they are people. Maybe, we as a country, we just got so unlucky to live during a time when too many of them are ruled by ego and mob/group mentality. But the foundations of our government systematically protect us from being governed by such villainy as these events. The Judicial Branch. This is the the part of the government whose entire function is to represent the history of Logic....the Law. Has logic failed us? No. Its just another group of people turning their backs logic. s**t's broken.I was walking to the subway this morning on my way to work. At the entrance were a number of men from the New York Civil Liberties Union. They were handing out pamphlets on what to do if you're ever questioned or arrested by the Police..... I do not live in fear that I'll be imprisoned tomorrow for saying anything in this "comment". I won't live in fear of speaking my mind. Flatout. But I will say this...There are only three things I will say if questioned/arrested: 1. My name. 2. My address. 3. "I want my lawyer!" Tell me that's not irony.
Closed AccountOct 19, 2006
Just to note: The Supreme Court can't make a ruling on a law's constitutionality until said law is challenged in the courts and works its way up the appeals system. It could be years until this law is challenged in such a way, especially if those affected by it are cut off from challenging it.The Supreme Court isn't doing nothing because they don't want to but because they can't right yet.
jarquitesOct 19, 2006
Our Constitution was intentionally designed to protect our freedom by limiting government power. The Bill of Rights is meaningless without habeas as its foundation. Every member of Congress who voted for this patently unconstitutional and un-American law either doesn't understand the Constitution or doesn't care about it. All should be thrown out in November.
thergrimOct 19, 2006
ghm101 said,"So George Bush (or his self appointed tribunal) now gets to declare you an “Enemy Combatant”. Once you are an “Enemy Combatant”, even if you are a US citizen, you get to go to jail, without a trial for as long as they like."Actually, if you read the bill, it says "Alien Enemy Combatant".Alien is defined as a non-US citizen.Alien Enemy Combatants have never ever had Habeas Corpus rights in this country.
Closed AccountOct 20, 2006
The bill does say that alien enemy combatants are the only ones to go before a military commission, and it does say that US citizens can't be aliens. BUT it does NOT exclude US citizens from the definition of an enemy combatant. A US citizen can be detained as an enemy combatant awaiting trial by a military commission that can never be convened. So yes, you can be picked up and held in jail indefinitely even if you are a US citizen.
alexerosSep 28, 2007
Bush is right, you guys are the greatest threat to national security I've evr seen! cause your just typing away and letting this happen. Im not saying if everyone went out and duck taped the handle down on a gas station in every town in america that you'd be a pat-riot. But if we had let the arabs know we knew 911 was coming, they know we had broken and cracked their codes and wed compromise all the cia agents we depend on to stop alll the terrorist acts that REALLY happen beyond your NEED to know. Get a clue. You cant stop us...we coming to get you and then..You've got your balls to the wall man! Clayton Williams said it best, just lay back and enjoy it like a warm texas storm...he was talking about RAPE of course...hehe. I am proud to be an american. Bush Stopped the end of Lase-fair free markets and their economies that would have enevidbly happpend if chinas industrial revolution was alllowed to go on unchecked...we control the contracts via iraq and haliburton..a genius stroke to protect American security intrests. Now hillary will similarly save the economy by taxation i figure. Oh, its gonna happen to you alright...but just be glad it didn't happen to you and your family until it Does!!! Please Respond!!!