Bad Trains on The Fast Track
Guest Post by Man of American Dissent
Never mind going to Hell in a bucket or handbasket. Things seem to be on the TGV. The House and Senate gave a big thumbs up and Cheshire Cat smile to torture, indefinite detention and admission of coerced statements. The resident is expected to sign the bill (sans signing statement no doubt).
This legislation is so fundamentally wrong and Un-American that I do not even know where to begin when discussing it. Just when I was recovering from a Hardball hangover, I heard Christopher "Rabbit" Matthews jabbering on about how he and most Americans thought that there were times when torture and stuff is ok.
I've got "Breaking News" for Mr. Rabbitt and our "representatives". Torture is wrong. We're supposed to be the good guys. If we don't start walking some miles in those white cowboy boots, we're doomed.
I have one request. Please do whatever you can to get the Republicans and their LibermanOcratic counterparts out of office come November. If we are unable to do that I fear the worst is yet to come.
posted by Man of American Dissent @ 11:34 PM
12 Comments:
I am ashamed in America.
I am ashamed that we would elect a President who would ignore terrorist threats against America for nine months.
I am ashamed that the President would pre-emptively attack another country when no threat was imminent.
I am ashamed that the President would authorize torture.
I am ashamed that the President would treat detainees inhumanely.
I am ashamed that the President would wire tap Americans without a warrant for probable cause.
I am ashamed that the President taunts our enemies to ‘bring it on’.
I am ashamed that the President would kidnap people and send them to secret prisons.
I am ashamed that the President would ask Congress for torture legislation.
I am ashamed that the President would ask Congress to prevent the Federal Courts system from trying detainees.
I am ashamed that the President would ask Congress to spy upon Americans without a warrant.
I am ashamed that we are in a national debate about torture, spying, and discarding the rights of all people for a trial by a jury of their peers.
Now I am ashamed that Congress gives the President what he wants.
I am also ashamed that I have not spoken enough or done enough about all of this.The shame of the people, by the people, and for the people will not be easily removed.
When you vote this year, vote against every legislator who supported the shaming of America.
Molly Ivins' thoughts on this moment, which can be found at commondreams.org, end with the thought that Americans should not be surprised if the World starts comparing the USA to the Nazis.
Journalists often feel a debate has gone off the rails the moment Hitler & the Nazis get mentioned. But how do we prevent the horror of Nazism from repeating itself without making comparisons? Germany did not descend into madness overnight; it took slow steps to degrade one of the most civilized peoples of the world. We could go further back and wonder how the great democracy of Athens descended into tyrannical madness and finally second-rate status under Phillip of Macedonia?
Did we not learn anything in school?
Aftermath & Universal Lessons of the Holocaust offers lesson plans for school children, but I think voters ought to be reminded of what we ought to have learned from those times. I particularly recommend scrolling down and rereading (assuming you read them once before) the poems "The Hangman" by Maurice Ogden and Martin Niemoller's "First the Nazis...."
"We have met the Enemy and he is us." It didn't take long for Athens or Germany to go from the Beacon of Civilization to barbaric degradation. Liberal Democracy is like climbing a mountain; it's a hard and slow struggle to the top, but the fall to the bottom can be swift and deadly.
I sent a letter to my Dem. senator salazar here in Colorado who voted for the bill and told him I would not vote for him next time.
I also sent an email to McCain and told him that he should be ashamed of himself (especially given he himself was tortured!!!).
Oh yeah and I can't STAND Chris Matthews. I watch Olbermann.
Thanks for posting the "Rabbit". It brought a little smile to my face as I've been a little down today over the fact that thanks to republicans, torture is now an approved US policy...
CoolAqua
You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges. You are carrying a Glock .40, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.
What do you do?
Democrat's Answer:
Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor! or oppressed?
Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
Could we run away? What does my wife think?
What about the kids? Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
What does the law say about this situation?
Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it?
Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?
Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me?
Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?
If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?
Should I call 9-1-1? Why is this street so deserted?
We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.
This is all so confusing! ! I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.
Republican's Answer:
BANG!
Southern Republican's Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Click.....(sounds of reloading).
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
click .....
Daughter: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips?"
Hey Kindlingman, guess what? I am ashamed of having to call people of your ilk fellow Americans. In fact, I wonder just who you really are. You hate America so much, take a hike.
American has done okay by me.
Given the latest news out of Washington, I think the story would go something like this:
A Republican is walking down a deserted street with an "escort" and two strapping youths who were working out at the 'Y'. Suddenly, a liberal blogger with a camera phone comes round the corner, locks eyes with the Republican, screams "Media Matters", praises Neo-con hypocrisy, raises his phone camera, and clicks away.
The Republican is carrying an unlicenced Glock .40, a gift from a NRA lobbyist for services rendered. He has mere seconds to stop pix of his "family values" being posted online. What does he do?
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, and BANG!
Being a chickenhawk with no experience with a weapon, the Republican not only drills the blogger, he shoots the "escort" in the foot. The "escort" screams and runs. (She'll later acquire a three bedroom house in Georgetown for keeping silent.)
When the police arrive, the Republican explains "I was walking down the street determined to protect from online predators these two strapping youths who were working out at the 'Y' when this Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with me, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges. It's a clear case of self-defence."
When told the alleged terrorist was armed only with a phone camera, the Republican said, "I thought those Iranians had invented phasers."
The deceased blogger was removed to Guantanamo where he is awaiting trial. The Republican was elected by Diebold to the House of Representatives. And the two youths who were working out at the 'Y' were given jobs as Capitol pages.
Hey Anonymous,
Thanks for tearing yourself away from your "Grand Theft Auto" game long enough to share your thoughtful insights with us. Living a mock-heroic life in a two dimensional comic book world has obviously prepared you to practice philosophy in the public sphere. Perhaps you should consider a career in politics. I hear the George Allen campaign in Virginia is looking for a few good white men, and I think I would be safe in saying that a man of your calibre might actually elevate the intellectual atmosphere in a place like that. Maybe you should sign up.
Hey, Anonymous, when in the last 200 years did Congress need to pass laws for torturing people? During the war of 1812? No. During the Civil War? No. During World War I or II? No.
We made it this far without trampling on the Bill of Rights. We can make it another 200 years,too.
The law just passed by Congress is an insult to every veteran who fought for the rights and freedom of every American. This law is an insult to the memory of the dead in both World Wars.
I support the elimination of terrorists with the same intensity as protecting the rights of all men.
You,sir,have outlined the exact scenario that I would like to avoid: terrorists in America. If your scenario happens, it is because people like you do not know how to stop the evil. Instead you feed it. You breed hatred for others instead of developing srong defenses. You deal with the violence that comes from terrorism instead of killing terrorism at its roots.
Task Force 145 does more in a single day to kill and capture terrorists and destroy terrorism at its roots than your macho nonsense would ever understand. They are efficient and effective in stopping terrorists. I hope they continue to do so.
But you, sir, are a coward. You wish to torture those we have already caught. You wish to imprison them forever rather than try them for their actions and execute them. You wish to listen secretly to Americans so that you cannot be 'discovered'.
Stand up and be a man. Be tough on stopping terrorism and when you have them in the power of your hands, give them the rights due to all men: to be held accountable for their actions, to be judged in a court of law, and to be punished in accordance with their offenses.
I would shoot the terrorist in your scenario without any hesitation or guilt. I defend the innocent and protect what is mine.
One more thing: get your head around the fact that Democrats are not pacifists. Some pacifists are Democrats and some are Republicans. But if you think Democrats won't fight, I suggest you talk to all the Special Forces personnel who are Democrats and tell them what you think.
They might just change your mind.
Democrat's Answer:
Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!
Does the man look poor! or oppressed?
Give it a break you twit. We're not talking about terrorists here. The only reason for Bu$hCo to co-opt Congress into abrogating their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution is so that your party can use it against American citizens, their opponents, you if you're stupid enough to step out of line.
Your useless rant would be funny, if it weren't so sad...and off topic.
There is no doubt in my mind that the reason Bush and Cheney don't want to use the FISA rules of oversight is because they aren't spying on terrorists. The FISA would cover everything needed by an anti-terrorist program. It would not cover spying on the Democratic Party or liberal bloggers or business interests in competition with White House supporters.
And the abrogation of human rights and international law? What's that about? Well, Republicans are by nature hypocrites. Consider Mark Foley and his work fighting internet predators; Rush Limbaugh and his fight against drug abusers; Newt Gingrich and his defence of Family Values, especially adultery, divorce, and deadbeat dads; William Bennett's Bookmaking of Virtues & Correct Odds. The Righteous Indignation of the Right is the clearest giveaway of what they're really doing behind closed doors.
So, when Bush says he's defending Freedom & Democracy, he most likely means he's "destroying" freedom and democracy. Afterall, he said he didn't torture, he didn't wiretap without warrants, he was a patient man, he loves peace, and he wants justice to be done. Hahaha.
This week, America has become a land where, if you clutch the Bible in one hand and the Stars & Stripes in the other, you can break all 10 Commandments and the Bill of Rights without having to blush. This week, America has become a land where, if you take a call from a friend travelling through a Muslim country, you can be imprisoned indefinitely without charge, tortured, and tried by a kangaroo court.
Apparently, this makes some Americans ashamed of their government, while other Americans are proud. Ben Franklin said, "Those who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." Bush does not want any oversight, no checks or balances for him. He's a "benevolent" dictator, right? Well, I have no doubt Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Kennedy would all be ashamed of America today. Anyone who is still proud of America has to explain how far down the road to perdition does America have to go to earn their shame.
I agree. Really, what's the difference between torture and the horrible things the nazis did in ww2? What's next?
I am ashamed in America. I am ashamed that we would elect a President who would ignore terrorist threats against America for eight YEARS. I am ashamed that the President would bomb an aspirin factory instead of taking out real terrorists. I am ashamed that the President would ejaculate all over the Oval Office and then lie about it under oath. I am ashamed the Senate acquited him and did not remove him from office.
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