Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

markpkessinger

(8,381 posts)
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 10:18 PM Jan 2012

Washington Post/10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free

[font size=3]10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free[/font]

[font size=2]By Jonathan Turley, Friday, January 13, 5:34 PM[/font]

< . . . >

The list of powers acquired by the U.S. government since 9/11 puts us in rather troubling company.

< . . . >
President Obama has claimed, as President George W. Bush did before him, the right to order the killing of any citizen considered a terrorist or an abettor of terrorism. Last year, he approved the killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaqi and another citizen under this claimed inherent authority. Last month, administration officials affirmed that power, stating that the president can order the assassination of any citizen whom he considers allied with terrorists. (Nations such as Nigeria, Iran and Syria have been routinely criticized for extrajudicial killings of enemies of the state.)
< . . . >
Under the law signed last month, terrorism suspects are to be held by the military; the president also has the authority to indefinitely detain citizens accused of terrorism. While the administration claims that this provision only codified existing law, experts widely contest this view, and the administration has opposed efforts to challenge such authority in federal courts. The government continues to claim the right to strip citizens of legal protections based on its sole discretion. (China recently codified a more limited detention law for its citizens, while countries such as Cambodia have been singled out by the United States for “prolonged detention.”)
< . . . >
The government now routinely uses secret evidence to detain individuals and employs secret evidence in federal and military courts. It also forces the dismissal of cases against the United States by simply filing declarations that the cases would make the government reveal classified information that would harm national security — a claim made in a variety of privacy lawsuits and largely accepted by federal judges without question. Even legal opinions, cited as the basis for the government’s actions under the Bush and Obama administrations, have been classified. This allows the government to claim secret legal arguments to support secret proceedings using secret evidence. In addition, some cases never make it to court at all. The federal courts routinely deny constitutional challenges to policies and programs under a narrow definition of standing to bring a case.
< . . . >


Read full article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-the-united-states-still-the-land-of-the-free/2012/01/04/gIQAvcD1wP_story_1.html
7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Washington Post/10 reasons the U.S. is no longer the land of the free (Original Post) markpkessinger Jan 2012 OP
This is why we have Occupy. The majority of Congress, the POTUS and the SCOTUS rhett o rick Jan 2012 #1
under the bus with you, Jonathan Turley! provis99 Jan 2012 #2
Excellent article. JDPriestly Jan 2012 #3
The felony charge of the OWS protester, woo me with science Jan 2012 #4
single page view: alp227 Jan 2012 #5
K&R NorthCarolina Jan 2012 #6
it never really was the land of the free except in special circumstances divide_and_rule Jan 2012 #7
 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
1. This is why we have Occupy. The majority of Congress, the POTUS and the SCOTUS
Fri Jan 13, 2012, 11:08 PM
Jan 2012

are beholding to big corporations. Be sure to vote, but dont expect it to change shit.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
3. Excellent article.
Sat Jan 14, 2012, 05:23 AM
Jan 2012

On edit: Let's assume that we have a war on terror (however that is defined). To win a war, don't you have to target your resources carefully so as to achieve the most efficient, absolute victory?

And isn't subjecting extremely large numbers of people to surveillance, arbitrary confinement, extradition, torture, abuse, extortion, secrecy, deprivation of due process and fear an inefficient way to win a war?

Isn't one of the first rules in winning a battle that you have to know who your enemy is? Fighting everyone and anyone is inefficient. If you have to fight the majority of the people, you probably shouldn't be trying to govern. You will never prevail.

The spatter-paint methods the government is using to fight terrorism suggest that the government has no idea who or what the enemy is. It doesn't seem to know exactly what conduct it should focus on.

It's just scared of something. Who knows what? And in a panic eating away at the Bill of Rights -- bite by bite. First the Fourth Amendment, then the Fifth, then the First. Pretty soon, Americans will ask, "My freedom is gone. My friends are gone. What happened?" And then we won't be America any more.

The NDAA was not necessary and should be amended to guarantee that Americans may not be deprived of any of the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights -- not under any circumstances.

The acts that most of us would consider to be terrorist in nature are already crimes. So why have special laws that deprive "terrorists" of their Constitutional rights? It makes no sense at all.

woo me with science

(32,139 posts)
4. The felony charge of the OWS protester,
Sat Jan 14, 2012, 08:59 AM
Jan 2012

the current move to control the Internet...and everything in this article...

All of these are alarming as hell.

And what is most alarming is that our President is consistently, inexcusably absent, complicit, or the architect of these things. We are moving into fascism.


Occupy NOW, because they are putting structures into place to prevent occupation tomorrow.

 

divide_and_rule

(16 posts)
7. it never really was the land of the free except in special circumstances
Mon Jan 16, 2012, 12:16 PM
Jan 2012

the usa started as a labor camp for so called indentured servants, aka white slaves, and it went from there. Then it became a pseudo democracy in about 1790. The only time it was really free for americans is for settlers many decades ago

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Washington Post/10 reason...