Suspended Constitution

[Charleston Chew]

Run time: 09:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEGzymT4PWA   Posted on YouTube: February 01, 2011 By YouTube Member: CriticalEye21 Views on YouTube: 210   Posted on DU: February 07, 2011 By DU Member: Charleston Chew Views on DU: 458

 
The End of the American Dream - Suspended Constitution

Radical elements within the US government led by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and others used the 9/11 attacks to undermine the democratic rights of the American people by what amounts to suspending the constitution and replacing it with what is essentially fascist legislation: the Patriot Act. As a result, the US now maintains torture camps all over the world - of which Guantanamo (Cuba), Abu Ghraib (Iraq) and Bagram (Afghanistan) - are only the most notorious and wages unrestrained war against civilians in countries that never posed a direct threat to the United States. The recent Wikileaks revelations have shown with what brutality and utter disregard for human life these wars are being conducted (helicopter video). Inside the US things don't look much better with Americans now constantly being monitored and controlled by a police state that has over 2000 agencies watching over their every move, and inhumane treatment being meted out to anyone who dares oppose Washington; Bradley Manning being only one example. If the American people don't claim back their country soon, the USA will turn into a fascist state controlled by an alliance of ultra-right-wing politicians, fundamentalist Christians, and sinister CEOs of large corporations. Such a turn of events would be a disaster for the world. Unfortunately, the election of Obama has changed nothing in Washington's corridors of power.

[Charleston Chew]

1. Patriot Act Was Signed Into Law With NO Debate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[midnight]

2. The only one not to sign this was just voted out of office.....

Senator Feingold....

[Charleston Chew]

3. Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

U.S. House Representative
Posted: February 7, 2011

The Tea Party's First Test?

The House may vote tomorrow to extend three provisions of the PATRIOT Act and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act that allow the government to conduct domestic surveillance of Americans.

The 112th Congress began with a historic reading of the U.S. Constitution. Will anyone subscribe to the First and Fourth Amendments tomorrow when the PATRIOT Act is up for a vote? I am hopeful that members of the Tea Party who came to Congress to defend the Constitution will join me in challenging the reauthorization.

It is clear that more than eight years after the passage of the PATRIOT Act, Congress has failed to do its job: act as a co-equal branch of government exercising checks and balances over Presidential power. Who will and protect the American people from infringements on their most basic constitutional rights if Congress continues to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act?

The passage of the PATRIOT Act in 2001 constituted an unprecedented expansion of executive power and placed basic civil liberties at grave risk. Provisions scheduled for extension, such as Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to order any person or business to turn over "any tangible things" with vague reason.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-dennis-kucinich/the-t...