IPW

Schmabeas Schmorpus

I know that I only have four readers, at least I think I do. It may turn out that you've all gone and found other, more frequently updated blogs. Despite my small and getting smaller readership, I want to put the word out. The America you knew on October 16th died, or at least was shelved on the 17th. That's because on the 16th, if you were for some reason declared an enemy combatant (definition unspecified) you had the right to have a trial before you were thrown in Gitmo forever. This is (sorry, was) an important part of our Constitution. Here it is:

"The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." (Article One, section nine).

It meant that you had the right to defend yourself against charges, defend yourself all the way up to the Supreme Court, one of our three branches of government. This was actually pretty fundamental is distinguishing ourselves from every non-democratic country in the world, your right to an attorney is what stands between you an unlawful punishment for ANYTHING. Sorry, I keep talking like you still have it.

Yesterday, on October 17th, Bush signed the Military Commissons Act of 2006, beside a banner that read "Protecting America" (Remember his other banner, Mission Accomplished?), and wiped away the only thing protecting you from a megalomaniacal despot chucking you in the clink, like...hmm. Who would do that, George Bush? Actually, GW probably won't, but by giving himself, the President, ultimate power over who goes to jail, and whether or not they can protest it, he has neutered a Constitution so well written, it was designed to withstand the worst kind of leader and protect our rights despite him. One of the biggest checks on W's balance is gone thanks to him and the Republican led Congress.

Like I said, I don't honestly think W is a madman like Hitler as my more liberal friends might. If you think he's like Hitler, basically, you don't know Hitler. He's bad though. He has shown by destroying this provision of the Constitution that he's too stupid to lead. He's too stupid to know that even though in his heart of heart he thinks he won't go locking people up for no reason, the next guy might, like Dick Cheney after Bush gets in another, more serious, bicycle accident. Now don't get me wrong, W has locked plenty of people up without trial already, but as far as I know, none of them have been American citizens. See, he hasn't been able to do that before. Now he can.

You might at this point think to yourself, "Self, he's exaggerating right? Surely, though Bush is bad, he's hasn't done THAT." Well, why don't you see for yourself in your first VIEWING assignment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibpdwFjPMWE

And, as your next assignment, forward this link, or the link to this blog entry on to some of your fellow Americans, who, as the George Washington Law Professor says, treated this story with a big YAWN.

Posted by ian at October 18, 2006 11:14 PM