HABEAS THAT CORPUS-Bush Admin Used 911 To Attack Our Constitution. By Military Analyst-Dan Smith

[kpete]

Habeas That Corpus
Col. Dan Smith, (Ret.) | May 7, 2007

Editor: Emily Schwartz Greco, IPS




Foreign Policy In Focus www.fpif.org


Just a few years ago, the United States could hold its head high for the freedoms enjoyed by those residing within its borders as well as its energy, leadership, and openness and compassion. Today we are fast becoming a closed society, suspicious not only of “outsiders” but of many within our borders who are in some way “not like us.” The lists of our freedoms have turned into lists of our enemies, giving them an unmerited significance that in turn diminishes the country’s international standing. Persuasion has been replaced by coercion, honor sacrificed to a corrupted “duty,” and morality to expediency.

The change became very clear approximately 66 months ago and not quite a month after September 11, 2001, when the Bush administration launched its retaliatory strike in Afghanistan on the Taliban regime and Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda.

Simultaneously, it launched another strike, this one aimed at the array of civil and political rights guaranteed in the Constitution to citizens and others who are in the United States.

Legislative Attack on Freedom

Playing on the fears generated by 9/11, the administration proposed and Congress passed legislation expanding government intrusion and restricting previously sacrosanct freedoms and constitutional guarantees. When the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, struck down some provisions of these new laws and some administrative decisions of the administration that violated human rights such as curtailing habeas corpus, the White House seemed stunned that the courts would “interfere.” A compliant Congress then enacted additional legislation (the Military Commissions Act) to try to restrict judicial review, only to have the electorate issue its “opinion” last November. The fact that control of both Houses of Congress was about to change must have sent the Bush administration into overdrive to work around both the legal and the electoral rebuffs.


much, much more at:
http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4202

[MannyGoldstein]

1. 9/11 Was Our Reichstag Fire

While I'm not at all convinced that Bush was involved in 9/11 (LIHOP or MIHOP), he used it like Hitler used the Reichstag Fire - to attack the constitution under the pretext of keeping us safe.

Fortunately, and unlike in Hitler's case, Bush's military adventures were unsuccessful; rather than being worshipped as a hero as Hitler was, Bush is hated by most everyone.

The moral of the story - if you're going to be evil, at least be competent and win the insane wars that you start.

[Solly Mack]

2. k/r

[havocmom]

3. K & R

[pinto]

4. Biting, pointed analysis. Thanks for passing this on.

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[bonito]

5. K & R

Bookmarking.

[Kurovski]

6. K&R. (nt)