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Are Civil Liberties Coming to an END in the USA?

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Sat, 2011-12-03 11:55

#1

ikosmos

ikosmos's picture

Are Civil Liberties Coming to an END in the USA?

C S Monitor wrote:
Legislation passed by the Senate this week and headed for the House - and a possible presidential veto - could allow the US military to detain American citizens indefinitely.

The National Defense Authorization Act covering $662 billion in defense spending for the next fiscal year includes a provision requiring military custody of a terror suspect believed to be a member of Al Qaeda or its affiliates and involved in attacks on the United States.

A last minute amendment allows the president to waive the authority based on national security and to hold a terror suspect in civilian rather than military custody. But the bill would deny US citizens suspected of being terrorists the right to trial, subjecting them to indefinite detention, and civil libertarians say the amendment essentially is meaningless.

Guantanamo for US Citizens?

Sat, 2011-12-03 11:58

#2

Catchfire

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Er, I hate to tell you, ikosmos, but you're a little late to the party. The Republican senate just want to bring some honesty to the Constitution.

Sat, 2011-12-03 12:23

#3

ikosmos

ikosmos's picture

OK. So has it passed?

Sat, 2011-12-03 12:34

#4

Catchfire

Catchfire's picture

Not this particular bill--my point was that civil liberties died in the USA (and in this country) a long time ago. Of course, their birth and life might have just been a rumour in the first place, so...

Sat, 2011-12-03 12:41

#5

Unionist

Actually, the subjection of U.S. citizens to indefinite detention might do the world some good. Silver lining, anyone?

Sat, 2011-12-03 13:44

#6

ikosmos

ikosmos's picture

Yes, well, the jailors would have to jail themselves indefinitely at the end of their jailing rampage. All in favour signify by ignoring this thread.

Sat, 2011-12-03 15:31

#7

Fidel

It became a military dictatorship in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act. Any pretence of democracy in the USSA is merely for appearance sake. While escalating class warfare against public sector unions and the middle class in America, military budgets and the notorious black budgets used for everything from covert operations abroad to orchestrating false flag terrorism, are left unscathed and even insulated from neoliberal cutbacks. Wall Street bankers and Pentagon capitalists hijacked the U.S. Constitution some time ago.

Many of the same embedded bureaucrats and advisors in and around the Bill Clinton administration - the ones who helped European and Russian oligarchs to impoverish roughly 60 million Russians in the 1990s - are there in Obama's administration today. And today they are doing to Americans what they did to Russian citizens during the Perestroika years. Warren Buffet says there are 60 million Americans subsisting on $20k a year or anywhere less than that amount. There really is a problem with terrorism in America. We have seen the enemy.

Sat, 2011-12-03 15:35

#8

ikosmos

ikosmos's picture

If that was the case then the correct approach for the Civil Rights Movement in the USA would have been to go straight to a struggle for revolutionary change and bypass foolish things like the Voting Act and so on.

Just saying it like that shows how silly your claim is, Fidel. 'nuff said.

Sat, 2011-12-03 15:40

#9

Fidel

ikosmos wrote:

If that was the case then the correct approach for the Civil Rights Movement in the USA would have been to go straight to a struggle for revolutionary change and bypass foolish things like the Voting Act and so on.

Just saying it like that shows how silly your claim is, Fidel. 'nuff said.

Yes they do vote in America, don't they. lol!

Sat, 2011-12-03 16:02

contrarianna

It IS significant.

Civil liberties and the Constitution's dismantlement is an onging process. Police state developments that are now considered ho-hum would actually be unthinkable 15 years ago.

"...the worst is not
So long as we can say 'This is the worst.'"
King Lear, Act 4.1

And, with the ongoing harmonization of Canada with the US--in spirit and deed--there will be other uses for Canada's puzzling expansion of its prison system than just the kid growing 5 pot plants in his basement.

Once again, Constitutional lawyer Glenn Greenwald is the best on this issue:

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/congress_endorsing_military_detention_a_new_aumf/singleton/

Sat, 2011-12-03 16:12

Fidel

Yes it's obvious who is controlling Steve Harper's every waking thought today. Our shameless toadies are only in there to do a job for the richest one percent. Our corrupt stooges understand full well that without big money in politics, those still voting wouldn't be so generous with them at the ballot box.

Sat, 2011-12-03 16:41

ikosmos

ikosmos's picture

contrarianna wrote:
Once again, Constitutional lawyer Glenn Greenwald is the best on this issue:

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/congress_endorsing_military_detention_a_new_aumf/singleton/

Greenwald: " ... 2/3 of these war addicts in the Senate just rejected Rand Paul's bill to repeal the 2003 Iraq AUMF (Authorization to use military force) even as they insist that the Iraq War has ended."

Just so we're clear ... while insisting there is no war in Iraq, the US Senate refused to end the ongoing use of military force there.

Orwell's Big Brother would be proud of these new American converts.

Sat, 2011-12-03 18:01

Gaian

You are absolutely correct about the incrementally developing menace, ikosmos.

And I stand in awe of your use of Shakeseare, contrarianna:

"...the worst is not
So long as we can say 'This is the worst.'"
King Lear, Act 4.1

And obviiously, there is worse to come...on both sides of the 49th.

Sat, 2011-12-03 23:15

Fidel

And Obama said it wasn't war in Libya because no Americans were being killed. War is peace.

The Glasnost is half full.

Sun, 2011-12-04 08:06

Bec.De.Corbin Bec.De.Corbin's picture

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