posted by gr8fuldaniel | 11:46 AM
gr8fuldaniel
Rantings, Musings, Observations, Political Protest, My findings in a quest for truth posted here, open to all. Comments have been disabled due to spam bombers. Pray4Peace.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Another Gary Condit moment - Minnesota Daily: "For media, and for all of us who are ignoring the more consequential actions of our government, this is another Gary Condit moment. Just as Gary Condit distracted from covering real threats to the nation, so too does Mark Foley distract from the same.
In my past two columns, I've written about one of these threats - the Military Commissions Act. I'm going to write about it again simply because I cannot believe there is not more outrage about the bill and its dangerous attacks on fundamental notions of freedom and democracy in this country.
What do I mean by this? The act allows the president to designate anyone an 'unlawful enemy combatant' - including U.S. citizens - and subject those labeled as such to summary arrest and indefinite attention without appeal. The act allows President George W. Bush to define torture.
The act suspends habeas corpus - thus disabling the rights of those imprisoned to challenge their imprisonment. These are just three of the worst components of the legislation.
The Foley scandal essentially has meant that the act is now relegated to 'old news.'
'New news' is being ignored as well. Namely, several different news accounts indicate signals of a possible war with"
Moreover, these same friends say, it will decapitate the Republican leadership in the House. My response is that, while these things might be true, they also are depressing. Don't get me wrong - like any good progressive, I will welcome Republican losses in the midterm with open arms.
But, if dirty instant messages and their cover-up are what do it - as opposed to other far more serious matters - we have larger problems
as a nation that need to be dealt with.
In my past two columns, I've written about one of these threats - the Military Commissions Act. I'm going to write about it again simply because I cannot believe there is not more outrage about the bill and its dangerous attacks on fundamental notions of freedom and democracy in this country.
What do I mean by this? The act allows the president to designate anyone an 'unlawful enemy combatant' - including U.S. citizens - and subject those labeled as such to summary arrest and indefinite attention without appeal. The act allows President George W. Bush to define torture.
The act suspends habeas corpus - thus disabling the rights of those imprisoned to challenge their imprisonment. These are just three of the worst components of the legislation.
The Foley scandal essentially has meant that the act is now relegated to 'old news.'
'New news' is being ignored as well. Namely, several different news accounts indicate signals of a possible war with"
Moreover, these same friends say, it will decapitate the Republican leadership in the House. My response is that, while these things might be true, they also are depressing. Don't get me wrong - like any good progressive, I will welcome Republican losses in the midterm with open arms.
But, if dirty instant messages and their cover-up are what do it - as opposed to other far more serious matters - we have larger problems
as a nation that need to be dealt with.
posted by gr8fuldaniel | 9:26 AM
