Here's only the most recent reason why: Alberto Gonzales is set to become our next top law official (Attorney General). Not only did this right wing lawyer write and ok various torture memos and legal stances saying most forms of torture were ok and that the Geneva Convention sections forbidding torture, which protects citizens and soldiers from all countries, including our own, could be considered "quaint," but in his recent congressional hearings actually said it might be ok if the President were to ignore our laws if deemed necessary!
Think about this for a sec: he is saying that the president is above the law and that all that is required to ignore any inconvenient law is to invoke national security or executive power as deemed necessary. This is only a couple short steps away from an American dictatorship or monarchy! Hell, Bush has already ceded to himself the right to indefinately detain any citizen without access to legal protections if he so deems it. This is not an exaggeration.
This is almost EXACTLY how Julius Caesar and Augustus and their emperor successors brought an end to the long-established and previously robust democratic institutions of ancient Rome, which until that time and perhaps even since, was one of the greatest experiments is democracy in human history. Keep in mind that the Roman senate and other representative institutions (granted they were oligarchically based) did not suddenly cease to exist - they continued in an increasingly powerless, puppet-like manner for centuries. It was national security concerns (those pesky barbarians!), corruption, and the excesses of national power and pride that these brutal dictators used as a wedge to get these institutions and the people themselves to freely grant them dictatorial powers.
Does any of this have an eerily familiar, modern sound?.....
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2 comments:
Don't forget that he also said that Texas doesn't have to follow international treaties since it didn't sign any of them.
He also helped bush get out of jury duty so that bush wouldn't have to testify that he was busted for drunk driving.
Senator_rude
You are both sooooo right! I am appalled that the liberties are slowlyyyyyyyy disappearing in this country! I keep hearing from others, if you don't like the system get out of the country! Excuse me? Why is that they cannot realize just because last year, one slightest showing of a woman's bossom,could lead to censorship(ie Howard Stern,if you don't like Stern,change the station or turn off your radio but don't violate his right to free speech),to the pios one,ie George Bush-current president of the united states,say he is going to fix all the problems in the usa? If that is the case, BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME,NOW! Instead he doesn't seem to grasp is that today's soldiers are the one that are a part of the working class today's baby boomers born after 1963, Social Security needers! I mean those born after 1963 to 1975 are the ones that NOW have to retire at the age of 70 to enjoy Social Security but according the plan,which he said he won't propose a draft but did say rather subliminly in his (eh hem)2nd Innagural.."I put to the youth of this nation, after high school,before college,serve 4 to 6 yrs for your nations military then procede to higher learning"! Excuse me mr president,and how are they going to pay for this when you increased the death benefits but not the educational ones in the VA!I have said my 5 cents worth and no I don't change thank you. I need to save that for my retirement fund!
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