Donald Rumsfeld has labeled those of us who engage in dissent from administration policies as traitors. McCarthyism raises its ugly head -- and who needs the House Un-American Activities Committee when the country is run by a self-proclaimed Messiah of the Republic.
A logical extension of the Government's argument in support of the establishment of Military Tribunals, even though Congress has not declared war as it only can by authority of the Constitution, to help combat the War on Terror is that because this is a borderless "war," the President can declare active political protesters, who are already under surveillance as we speak, "enemy combatants," since it is well-known that demonstrations, or as the Administration would call it, domestic terrorism, has historically caused violence and disruption of public institutions, peace, and tranquility.
The "enemy combatants," some of whom might be friends and neighbors, could be locked up for years, awaiting "trial" in a court formed by a president under a nebulous set of rules made up by a president, who ignores all sorts of laws, treaties, and the Constitution, at the whim of such a president. This has no resemblance to the concept of federalism and the Republic, as formulated by the Founding Fathers.
I hope We the People, in order to form a more perfect Union, care enough to stand up and be counted on the side of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Or we can maintain the attitude that it will happen only to those who "deserve" it, never to us.
As Walt Kelly's comic strip character, Pogo, who I have quoted before, pointed out, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
Long live freedom of speech. I'll come and visit you in prison. Seriously, awaiting trial in prison is a frightening idea under these circumstances.
Posted by: Anji at March 31, 2006 12:27 AMBrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Posted by: Joel Sax at March 31, 2006 08:36 PM