Friday, November 03, 2006
Bill of Rights, Quaint History or the Foundation of Society
by Mike Van Dam
I think the Republicans, rank and file, at least don’t really know what is going on. They trust their leadership and march in step. If a Democratic president tried to pass the legislation they have passed they would be up in Arms. I believe they are being deceived and led down the primrose path in the name of Homeland Security under the most expoited terrorist threat; they have been blinded by the Red White and Blue.
The Republicans will be horrified to learn how many rights they have lost. If the Executive, particularly under a democratic president, starts to attack their second amendment rights under the guise of domestic terrorism, with the massive power they have invested in the Executive Branch they have set themselves up for their worse nightmare.
This Administration makes a mockery of the Constitution; they have gutted the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments to detain anyone, anytime, no questions asked. They have also shown direct disdain for the 8th amendment in the claim of the necessity for cruel and unusual tactics, in dealing with terrorists. No its not punishment but it is cruel and unusual, in a prison cell and clearly not in the spirit of the constitution. They have attacked the press, 1st amendment, demanding reporters’ sources. How is it we got through the entire cold war with massive espionage and information wars, and reports were encouraged to use discrimination while coercion wasn’t necessary.
This however is only superficial to the fact that the corporate media is already greatly sanitized and either co-opted or cowed, which while we still have free speech technically, the spirit of the amendment has been broken. And with the battle over language in H.R. 5122, The Armed Forces Appropriations Bill of 2007 this year we saw the expressed desire for the authority to use the Armed Forces domestically anytime, anywhere for purposes of keeping the peace. In this way the 2nd and 3rd amendments could come under attack in short order.
In this case we have a Bill of Rights in name, but it doesn’t apply to the Executive branch of the Federal Government, for which it was specifically written to protect us from. Are we in a war on Terrorism? Indeed I think we are! We are under siege from the very source the founders of our Republic were the most concerned about. I believe we need as many Americans as possible that can be awakened from the trance of blind patriotism. And as many Americans as possible to awaken to an appreciation of the so-called Free Land we are living in.
The hard liners will try to make it a left right issue, while it is really our Bill of Rights that is at stake. Congressman Ron Paul, R Texas did not vote for the Patriot Act and I believe there are a growing number disillusioned by this administration. I think the framers of the constitution knew that someone or group would try to do this someday and they tried to defend against it. Never the less it seems that their work is now under attack. The Republicans are so hungry for power and willing to be led by fear they have cut themselves loose from the very framework that insures security for us all.
I think the Republicans, rank and file, at least don’t really know what is going on. They trust their leadership and march in step. If a Democratic president tried to pass the legislation they have passed they would be up in Arms. I believe they are being deceived and led down the primrose path in the name of Homeland Security under the most expoited terrorist threat; they have been blinded by the Red White and Blue.
The Republicans will be horrified to learn how many rights they have lost. If the Executive, particularly under a democratic president, starts to attack their second amendment rights under the guise of domestic terrorism, with the massive power they have invested in the Executive Branch they have set themselves up for their worse nightmare.
This Administration makes a mockery of the Constitution; they have gutted the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments to detain anyone, anytime, no questions asked. They have also shown direct disdain for the 8th amendment in the claim of the necessity for cruel and unusual tactics, in dealing with terrorists. No its not punishment but it is cruel and unusual, in a prison cell and clearly not in the spirit of the constitution. They have attacked the press, 1st amendment, demanding reporters’ sources. How is it we got through the entire cold war with massive espionage and information wars, and reports were encouraged to use discrimination while coercion wasn’t necessary.
This however is only superficial to the fact that the corporate media is already greatly sanitized and either co-opted or cowed, which while we still have free speech technically, the spirit of the amendment has been broken. And with the battle over language in H.R. 5122, The Armed Forces Appropriations Bill of 2007 this year we saw the expressed desire for the authority to use the Armed Forces domestically anytime, anywhere for purposes of keeping the peace. In this way the 2nd and 3rd amendments could come under attack in short order.
In this case we have a Bill of Rights in name, but it doesn’t apply to the Executive branch of the Federal Government, for which it was specifically written to protect us from. Are we in a war on Terrorism? Indeed I think we are! We are under siege from the very source the founders of our Republic were the most concerned about. I believe we need as many Americans as possible that can be awakened from the trance of blind patriotism. And as many Americans as possible to awaken to an appreciation of the so-called Free Land we are living in.
The hard liners will try to make it a left right issue, while it is really our Bill of Rights that is at stake. Congressman Ron Paul, R Texas did not vote for the Patriot Act and I believe there are a growing number disillusioned by this administration. I think the framers of the constitution knew that someone or group would try to do this someday and they tried to defend against it. Never the less it seems that their work is now under attack. The Republicans are so hungry for power and willing to be led by fear they have cut themselves loose from the very framework that insures security for us all.
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Hi Mike,
Sankara here. Thanks for sharing.
A few acquaintances of mine who identify themselves as members of the Republican Party will be voting Democrat this election, but others are continuing to vote Republican despite their acknowledgement that the modern day Republican politician, by in large, does not represent their small-government values. They feel the Democrats are not a good enough alternative.
Voting for the lesser of two evils is practically an American pasttime, espcially for Americans who hold no strong and narrow party affiliation. The party purist, who is loyal to political principles even though the representative party is off on a fascist tangent, might however hope that the party will one day return to its roots.
Why the Republican Party will return to its small government roots when it is not held accountable in the voting booth by party loyalists for straying from its principles is a mystery. Why return to principles in an effort to win hearts and minds when you can electronically rig an election? Who needs roots when you can stack the Supreme Court with judges who will stop a State's recount? Who needs good governing principles when your campaigns are funded to the tune of half a billion dollars by the real power in this world: the multinational corporations which are loyal to no nation but yet can feed on all of them through war and unfair global policies?
George Washington called the narrow party identity inane and contrary to the governing principles of a Republic. Overcoming the narrow identity is a spiritual issue, inasmuch as it pertains to one's sense of self and one's willingness to let go of denial. America is faced with a spiritual crisis, or a crisis or identity. There are several Americas; toward the extreme fringes of narrow ideological identity, those Americas are worlds apart. In response to the corporate and religious fascism that grew in power under Bush, more and more people are residing in those extreme territories.
Voting Democrat on the 7th seems the rational choice, but one day Americans who want a democracy will be required to break the stranglehold of this duopoly. Whoever wins, it is not inevitably the people who win but big money that wins. Clinton's 8 years did not slow that trend to any considerable measure. Perhaps a Kucinich presidency would, but ask Dennis how much money he has for his campaign. The figure he gives you will provide a pretty good indication of who is really in charge.
Again, thanks for sharing and letting me know about your blog.
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Sankara here. Thanks for sharing.
A few acquaintances of mine who identify themselves as members of the Republican Party will be voting Democrat this election, but others are continuing to vote Republican despite their acknowledgement that the modern day Republican politician, by in large, does not represent their small-government values. They feel the Democrats are not a good enough alternative.
Voting for the lesser of two evils is practically an American pasttime, espcially for Americans who hold no strong and narrow party affiliation. The party purist, who is loyal to political principles even though the representative party is off on a fascist tangent, might however hope that the party will one day return to its roots.
Why the Republican Party will return to its small government roots when it is not held accountable in the voting booth by party loyalists for straying from its principles is a mystery. Why return to principles in an effort to win hearts and minds when you can electronically rig an election? Who needs roots when you can stack the Supreme Court with judges who will stop a State's recount? Who needs good governing principles when your campaigns are funded to the tune of half a billion dollars by the real power in this world: the multinational corporations which are loyal to no nation but yet can feed on all of them through war and unfair global policies?
George Washington called the narrow party identity inane and contrary to the governing principles of a Republic. Overcoming the narrow identity is a spiritual issue, inasmuch as it pertains to one's sense of self and one's willingness to let go of denial. America is faced with a spiritual crisis, or a crisis or identity. There are several Americas; toward the extreme fringes of narrow ideological identity, those Americas are worlds apart. In response to the corporate and religious fascism that grew in power under Bush, more and more people are residing in those extreme territories.
Voting Democrat on the 7th seems the rational choice, but one day Americans who want a democracy will be required to break the stranglehold of this duopoly. Whoever wins, it is not inevitably the people who win but big money that wins. Clinton's 8 years did not slow that trend to any considerable measure. Perhaps a Kucinich presidency would, but ask Dennis how much money he has for his campaign. The figure he gives you will provide a pretty good indication of who is really in charge.
Again, thanks for sharing and letting me know about your blog.
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