The following was written by Thomas Sowell (a black man, for anyone keeping score). Emphasis mine.
quote:
Many people are looking to the many primary elections on March 6th -- "Super Tuesday" -- to clarify where this year's Republican nomination campaign is headed.
It may clarify far more than that, including the future of this nation and of Western civilization. If a clear winner with a commanding lead emerges, the question then becomes whether that candidate is someone who is likely to defeat Barack Obama.
If not, then the fate of America -- and of Western nations, including Israel -- will be left in the hands of a man with a lifelong hostility to Western values and Western interests.
President Obama is such a genial man that many people, across the ideological space, cannot see him as a danger.
For every hundred people who can see his geniality, probably only a handful see the grave danger his warped policies and ruthless tactics pose to a whole way of life that has given generation after generation of Americans unprecedented freedom and prosperity.
The election next November will not be just another election, and the stakes add up to far more than the sum of the individual issues. Moreover, if reelected and facing no future election, whatever political constraints may have limited how far Obama would push his radical agenda will be gone.
He would have the closest thing to a blank check. Nothing could stop him but impeachment or a military coup, and both are very unlikely. A genial corrupter is all the more dangerous for being genial.
The four remaining Republican candidates have to be judged, not simply by whether they would make good presidents, but by how well they can cut through Obama's personal popularity and glib rhetoric, to alert the voters as to the stakes in this year's election.
Ron Paul? Even those of us who agree with much of his domestic agenda, including getting rid of the Federal Reserve System, cannot believe that his happy-go-lucky attitude toward Iran's getting a nuclear weapon represents anything other than a grave danger to the whole Western World.
Rick Santorum has possibilities, but can he survive the media's constant attempts to paint him as some kind of religious nut who would use the government to impose his views on others? And, if he can, will he also be able to go toe-to-toe with Obama in debates?
I would not bet the rent money on it. And what is at stake is far bigger than the rent money.
Mitt Romney is the kind of candidate that the Republican establishment has always looked for, a moderate who can appeal to independents. It doesn't matter how many such candidates have turned out to be disasters on election night, going all the way back to Thomas E. Dewey in 1948.
Nor does it matter that the Republicans' most successful candidate of the 20th century -- Ronald Reagan, with two consecutive landslide victories at the polls -- was nobody's idea of a mushy moderate.
He stood for something. And he could explain what he stood for. These may sound like modest achievements, but they are very rare, especially among Republicans.
Newt Gingrich is the only candidate still in the field who can clearly take on Barack Obama in one-on-one debate and cut through the Obama rhetoric and mystique with hard facts and plain logic.
Nor is this just a matter of having a gift of gab. Gingrich has a far deeper grasp of both the policies and the politics than the other Republican candidates.
Does Gingrich have political "baggage"? More than you could carry on a commercial airliner.
Charges of opportunism have been among the most serious raised against the former Speaker of the House. But being President of the United States is the opportunity of a lifetime. If that doesn't sober a man up, it is hard to imagine what would.
Do any of the Republican candidates seem ideal? No. But, the White House cannot be left vacant, while we hope for a better field of candidates in 2016. We have to make our choice among the alternatives actually available, of which Obama is by far the worst.
Saro, I'm not trying to be a hard-ass, but you really didn't answer my question.
No hardassery taken.
If we're stepping back from the PDF question... There are no computers, no electronics, etc.....
I have no compelling reasons to believe that Obama is not who he says he is. I have no compelling reason to doubt the existence of his HI birth cert.
I'm going to take a bit of a circuitous route here, so bear with me.
A somewhat prominent friend of mine is firmly entrenched in the Progressive movement. She's published, served in local government, and has a couple of radio shows. She was trying to espouse the benefits of vegetarianism. Health benefits. Less harm to the environment due to reduced methane emissions from cattle farts (seriously). A number of things I can't recall now. But the heart of the matter was that she was simply an animal lover. Nothing wrong there. But the real issue is that she simply wants us to stop eating animals and less so that we'll be (allegedly) healthier, etc. And yes, she is a very healthy veggie.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is an in-law. A devout LDS member. When California's Prop 8 was making the rounds, he would gladly explain to you how gay marriage was going to cost us money (please let's not get into that). I can't recall the bulk of his other reasons. I simply know that there was one and only one reason that gay marriage should not be legal in his heart & mind. That reason was that, in his beliefs system, homosexuality is essentially an abominable, god (sorry for the lowercase g) hating choice that will spread like wildfire. And that's his belief to have. It was a moral issue but the talking points were becoming distinctly non moral.
Thing is that we can get ourselves to start spewing anything we hear to further a cause we believe in - even if these things are not primary to our association with this cause.
The left was doing this in the GWB era. I can't tell you how many alleged "experts" were talking about, for example, doctored pentagon footage. Or about metallurgical stuff. But they just didn't want to hear that, regardless of how evil they thought GWB was, these super weak points were just emotionally driven pseudo intellectual arguments.
The right is doing this in the BHO era. Eye for an eye? Sure, fine. Go for it.
I just can't board that train. I HATED GWB but fought the BS. I'm barely lukewarm on BHO. You expect me to not resist what seems like the same thing?
I've fought for things that others did not see. I was ridiculed for my beliefs. In the end, I stopped yapping and put my dollars where my convictions lay. I was right & am better for it now.
If you see something I do not, that's good for you. Act on it to the best of your own benefit. When the world doesn't listen, the best thing you can do is position yourself to take advantage of their poor decision making.
So, here's your chance. Act with your dollars and your lives. Court says already has.
To me, what we have going here in the bigger picture is some crazy oscillation. We're chasing the situation and are continually overcorrecting. Essentially, each time the pendulum swings, it somehow is swinging farther.
Stop swinging the pendulum and start bringing some calm rationale into the picture. "President Zero is a Manturian Candidate" is probably not the force that will help stabilize the pendulum.
What I do not understand is the absolute trying to squash public process that Walker and his cronies are hell bent on promoting as patriotism.
Now that's funny. The WI representatives ran from their state (stayed in hiding in MY state BTW!) to try to squash the public process. Failing that, they with union help used the same tactics that we saw in the occupy protests, when they occupied the capitol building to squash the public process. You supported that then, but now claim to dislike OWS tactics.
You may disagree with Walker, but he is doing what he campaigned on and was elected to do. He still seems to have a great deal of support from the electorate in WI. Any politician these days with a 47% approval rating is doing something right. Especially a Republican in a blue state.
I have no compelling reasons to believe that Obama is not who he says he is. I have no compelling reason to doubt the existence of his HI birth cert.
Is the fact that after four years he STILL hasn't produced the real thing compelling enough? They (Hawaii) says it exists. Why can't you or I see it?
Also, I find it interesting that so many of the folks who dislike the Obama "bashing" seem to revert to the, "Yeah, but just look at what Bush did, or Clinton did, or so and so did."
True enough, but it isn't relevant here. Mr. Obama is in charge now, and he's the focus of attention. What the others did, by and large, is, in fact, old news and there's not much anyone can do about.
What we CAN do something about, or at least talk about, is our current President. It's not "bad" that we talk about him, nor is it "bad" that some of us talk about him critically. It's one of our rights, and the Founders desired and encouraged criticism of our government.
So, let me take a run at you from another direction:
1) Mr. Obama is trampling the Constitution.
Agree, or disagree?
2) If you agree, then do you dislike ALL the rules spelled out in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, or just SOME of them?
3) If you disagree, how do you "justify," from a constitutional perspective, President Obama signing the NDAA into law the, which allows, in part, him (and any future President) to order military detention without charge or trial for the first time in American history?
Same organizers, same tactics. How do you explain being in favor of the tactics in WI but not liking them in OWS? It must not translate to a resident of IL.
So does anyone actually believe the PDF of the birth certificate is real?
I don't think I said that what the Democrats did was right in that situation. If you can find specifically where I said that you can e-mail me the link.
However, the Dems did not ram through exclusionary legislature (Voter ID, discrimination, equal pay, environmental deregulation, take your pick)
So I do see them as the lesser of two evils.
Really, I am done hijacking this thread.
Start a new one on Walker if that is what you want to discuss.
I still do not think WI has anything to do with the OP.
Also, I find it interesting that so many of the folks who dislike the Obama "bashing" seem to revert to the, "Yeah, but just look at what Bush did, or Clinton did, or so and so did."
Excellent point.
quote:
1) Mr. Obama is trampling the Constitution.
So at the risk of resembling a smelly sphincter and point back to the previous president, perhaps the acceptance (?) of "trampling" the constitution is just based on precedent. Forgive me if there's an order of magnitude difference, but wasn't there similar sentiment over the Patriot Act? This is one case where maybe it's not an issue of "Well look at what Georgie boy did" but more like "If Bush signed this in and didn't appear to abuse it, perhaps Obama can as well."
Look. I may be making your point here, but... There are portions of the government overseen by an organization known as the National Futures Association. They regulate the part of the commodities futures industry (along with their parent organization the CFTC). In their efforts to beat down dirty commodities firms, they have some rules that seem to defy the constitution. Specifically, they can "taint" a firm based on its practices. When the firm gets tainted, all its brokers get tainted. And past brokers too. So, you worked at firm x in 2001, left in 2003, and in 2007, firm x became tainted, YOU became tainted. Got it?
So, in order to stay within regulations, a firm has a limit to the number of tainted brokers it can employ before falling victim to something known as Rule 2-9. At least in California, 2-9 is a death sentence for a brokerage. Some little law about phone calls being illegal to tape unless BOTH parties are aware.
Just understand here that we're blatantly endorsing guilt by association in this system and forcing firms to possibly perform ethically and legally questionable telemarketing tactics.
My family and I have fallen prey to these ridiculous rules. But they're there for the perceived benefit of the masses. So be it. One of the few clean and ethical commodities firms is out of business due to a chain of events relating to these rules.
I've already seen the government work against me.
1) So, do I agree that the constitution is being violated? I suppose I do.
2) I probably don't dislike any of them. However, just as with the Patriot Act, we can either believe that the guy pulling these stunts is evil and will subvert all rational forms of government or that he's just looking for a way to deal with exceptional situations. If I understand correctly, it takes a specific presidential order to deny a specific individual this due process.
As I already noted, my family's financial future was dramatically impacted by some insane a-holes (well, one in particular) who are out of reach of investigation without very deep pockets. But I understand that the intent of these rules is to protect the naive old lady with a recent life insurance settlement from the vultures.
So, I guess it comes down to whether or not you believe Obama is evil. I don't.
1) So, do I agree that the constitution is being violated? I suppose I do.
Courageous thing to say; thank you.
With all due respect, the other stuff you mention is noise as the issue pertains to the President.
You're saying that there are other folks in the government who are (or have been in the past) unethical, too. I agree 100%.
The issue at hand is whether or not Mr. Obama is an American citizen. It has nothing to do with the behavior of anyone else who has ever served in a political office in America, and has everything to do with Mr. Obama.
It'd be so easy for him to prove he's an American citizen. The document available for viewing online hasn't proven anything, only raised additional questions and concerns.
So, considering that the original paper document is said to exist, why - four years and several million dollars later - is Mr. Obama STILL unwilling to let us actually see it?
Makes ya wonder, doesn't it?
It's not enough that accept their word for it. That's not how America was designed to work. It's well within our rights as American citizens to see the proof. In fact, it's our duty to demand such.
Mr. Obama is trampling the Constitution; facts are facts.
The issue of whether others in his position did or did not similarly subvert the Constitution is important, but not as important as what our CURRENT President is doing.
If I understand correctly, it takes a specific presidential order to deny a specific individual this due process.
Saro, my God, man! Re-read what you said! Where in the Constitution does it say the President is allowed to deny an individual due process?
For the very first time in American history, a President can now deny an American citizen due process, for whatever reason he so chooses! This is HUGE!!!!!!
AND................if the President can disregard one aspect of the Constitution, the President can, eventually, disregard ALL aspects of the Constitution!
Saro, man, I know you, I respect you. Please, please, please give some serious thought to the dangers inherent in what you just said.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
As of December 31st, 2011, with the stroke of a pen, the sixth amendment is null and void. The President is now the King.
The controversy will not be put to bed by president Obama authorizing the release of the original document because the 'birthers' making the news every few months ups his poll numbers. It's a brilliant strategy. Makes you wonder whether Hillary was doing a double-fake when she brought it up in the primary.
I'll go on record as saying that I was "vaguely uneasy" with some of the things Bush did post 9/11 at the time. I now, with age, wisdom, and the value of hindsight, have gone from "vaguely uneasy" to "I think some were flat out wrong". I reserve the right to get smarter.
I would advise Obama supporters that are OK with the "if congress doesn't act, I will" philosophy, or the "we aren't looking to the constitution to answer that question" to learn from my mistakes.
Take issue X that you are happy to see forced through, and think about if it was issue Y, and instead of President Obama it was President Palin, and see if you still think "the ends justify the means".
The way these things were handled in WWII was wprse. As we occupied Germany, we would occupy a new town, some poor Sergeant would be told to go interview the people in town and find out who the SS collaborator was, and they would take the guy out in a field in a jeep and tell him to start walking, and shoot him in the back of the head.
the other stuff you mention is noise as the issue pertains to the President.
Depends on your perspective. GWB was allowed to waive some magic wands. Among them were hellatiously costly, brutally underestimated, mismanaged military campaigns which the administration essentially lied to make happen. And the costs? We are complaining about tax and spend democrats? Also, the aforementioned Patriot Act (which BHO extended).
Why were we ok with that series of abuses / mistakes / decisions (depending on your view)?
quote:
quote:
If I understand correctly, it takes a specific presidential order to deny a specific individual this due process.
Saro, my God, man! Re-read what you said!
This comes down to, once again, whether or not you believe Obama has some long term communist / totalitarianist / guytwirlingmassivemoustacheist agenda. What are his motives? Is the plan really to crap on the constitution and wipe with the bill of rights? Did we assign that right to just anyone? Any cop? Do we really think that BHO will absolutely abuse this power? Did GWB abuse the Patriot Act?
Or, perhaps like the Patriot Act, was this something intended to deal with situations outside of something the framers of the Constitution did not anticipate?
Who here was negatively impacted as a result of Patriot Act wiretaps? Anyone? Hello? I don't know anyone. And I was born in Tehran, Iran. And I know LOTS AND LOTS of people from less friendly nations, and not one of them ever was impacted by that Act. No joke - I knew TWO - not one, but TWO business partners whose first names were Jihad. They ran a little cafe. The suits never dropped in on them.
My point isn't any of these specific things. My point is that there is disproportionate hate and paranoia being directed towards this guy.
Do I like this? The compromises made in the face of the Constitution? The Bill of Rights? No. Do I think these things are being used against the average, law abiding citizen? No. Do I think "Obama is a Manchurian Candidate" of any sort" No.
I would just like us all to calm the eff down and direct meaningful, original, internal commentary at these topics instead of regurgitating what our particular brand of media or friends just told us.
I love my vagina and you should too. Is it ok if I just respect it from afar, for now? I don't know you all that well. We can talk, over soft drinks or coffee?
Glad you love it, I think they are wonderful. ( and, what you do with it is your own damn business. Until you ask me to pay for it without negotiations first. Moral and legal issues there. )
...'birthers' making the news every few months ups his poll numbers. It's a brilliant strategy. That has a very high probability.
I don't choose to defend anything Bush actually did, but accusing him falsely just makes any argument you make based on lies, and worth derision, instead of discussion.
I'm also not going to defend anything Bush, Or Obama does do because someone else did some evil that George's/ Barack's isn't as bad as............. "gee, he slaughtered that bus load of preshoolers with a chain saw.... at least he didn't gas 4 million Gypsies." Face it, that reasoning is pretty darn childish.
I actually think Barack is a Citizen. A very angry one, with Daddy issues, and decades of association with revolutionaries, murderers, and terrorists. Started his political career in the living room of a couple that is, proudly, all three.
Still don't know what his thesis was about. Do you? ( not that your thesis is a distillation of self, despite some college administrators belief.... although... Hilary's May be. )
Secretive people who have 3 "auto"biographies, but won't let anyone see a photocopy of his BC? Or his grades?
Bothers you not? Love him you do? Cheat on you he will.
Depends on your perspective. GWB was allowed to waive some magic wands... Soro, my comment earlier was deliberately pointed, but not meant to be cruel. I was trying to get a strong reaction from you.
Re: your comments I highlighted above, yet again you resort to the "Well, look at all the bad stuff that so and so did!" What does ANY of that have to do with Mr. Obama's performance as President? With all due respect, absolutely nothing.
Why were we ok with that series of abuses / mistakes / decisions (depending on your view)? Who, exactly, was "ok" with that? Probably NONE of the participants in this thread, including me. Why does this type of argument in favor of, or, at least, excusing Mr. Obama continually make the rounds?
This comes down to, once again, whether or not you believe Obama has some long term communist / totalitarianist / guytwirlingmassivemoustacheist agenda. Absolutely false. It comes down to the simple, verifiable fact that it's unconstitutional. The Framers didn't say, "Due process for all, unless the President says so." It's unconstitutional, pure and simple. Doesn't matter if the President is the nicest, most honest guy or gal in the world, the Framers didn't grant this unfettered power to the President.
No matter, the President King just granted it to himself. Moot point now, eh? Well, no problem, I'm sure Mr. Obama has my best intentions at heart and will only use his newfound authority for the "right" reasons.
Right?
Um, right?
What are his motives? Mr. Obama could answer that far better than I. Research is your friend, if you're truly interested in the answer to your question. (Psssst, if you want to use the internet to do your research, ya better do so while ya can...just sayin'...)
Is the plan really to crap on the constitution and wipe with the bill of rights? So it would seem.
Did we assign that right to just anyone? Nope, just the President.
Any cop? Nope, just the President.
Do we really think that BHO will absolutely abuse this power? I do. What do you think?
Did GWB abuse the Patriot Act? How does that have any bearing on what Mr. Obama may or may not do with his unprecedented newfound authority to act as King?
Or, perhaps like the Patriot Act, was this something intended to deal with situations outside of something the framers of the Constitution did not anticipate? The Framers anticipated, based on their own experiences and by studying history, that power corrupts. That is precisely why the Constitution and Bill of Rights didn't spell out what the PEOPLE could and could not do, it spelled out what the GOVERNMENT could and could not do.
Ironic, doncha think, that the Framers created rules that constrained THEM, and NOT their fellow American citizens?
Brilliant men, the Founders.
Question: If the Founding Fathers were alive today, do you think they'd be in favor of the NDAA?
Who here was negatively impacted as a result of Patriot Act wiretaps? Anyone? Hello? I don't know anyone. And I was born in Tehran, Iran. And I know LOTS AND LOTS of people from less friendly nations, and not one of them ever was impacted by that Act. No joke - I knew TWO - not one, but TWO business partners whose first names were Jihad. They ran a little cafe. The suits never dropped in on them. Not relevant, amigo, more background noise in the context of whether Mr. Obama is or isn't a foreign national, or whether or not he'll use powers of the throne for good or evil.
My point isn't any of these specific things. My point is that there is disproportionate hate and paranoia being directed towards this guy. Disproportionate by whose definition? I'm frankly quite alarmed at the systematic dismantling of our Constitution and Bill of Rights taking place before our eyes. What I can't understand is: Why aren't YOU alarmed?
Do I like this? The compromises made in the face of the Constitution? The Bill of Rights? No. Good, we agree. By the way, I don't consider the NDAA a "compromise." I'd be more inclined to use the word "gutting."
Do I think these things are being used against the average, law abiding citizen? The President can exclude ANYONE from due process, and he doesn't have to ask for permission, or explain why.
ANYONE.
That's a powerful tool, my friend. The Framers never meant for the President to have that kind of unaccountable power.
Do I think "Obama is a Manchurian Candidate" of any sort" No. That's 'cause you're a nice guy and generally trust people. So am I.
I would just like us all to calm the eff down and direct meaningful, original, internal commentary at these topics instead of regurgitating what our particular brand of media or friends just told us. I'm calm, 'dude. (See if you can spot the "Big Lebowski" reference...) What you wish is exactly what we're all doing here, trying to find the truth with the tools that we have available to us.
This thread, in my opinion, is meaningful, and I've invested a lot of my time (which equates to a lot of lost self-employment income) in it. It isn't like I don't have other things I could be doing.
PS to Saro: Have you ever taken a moment and contemplated what the Tenth Amendment of the Bill of Rights really means:
quote:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Where can we say exactly is the unconstitutional part in the NDAA?
Per previous discussion the troubling language appears in sections 1031 and 1032 of the NDAA bill.
S.1867
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Placed on Calendar Senate - PCS)
Subtitle D--Detainee Matters
SEC. 1031. AFFIRMATION OF AUTHORITY OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES TO DETAIN COVERED PERSONS PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE.
(a) In General- Congress affirms that the authority of the President to use all necessary and appropriate force pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) includes the authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons (as defined in subsection (b)) pending disposition under the law of war.
(b) Covered Persons- A covered person under this section is any person as follows:
(1) A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.
(2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.
(c) Disposition Under Law of War- The disposition of a person under the law of war as described in subsection (a) may include the following:
(1) Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of the hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force.
(2) Trial under chapter 47A of title 10, United States Code (as amended by the Military Commissions Act of 2009 (title XVIII of Public Law 111-84)).
(3) Transfer for trial by an alternative court or competent tribunal having lawful jurisdiction.
(4) Transfer to the custody or control of the person's country of origin, any other foreign country, or any other foreign entity.
(d) Construction- Nothing in this section is intended to limit or expand the authority of the President or the scope of the Authorization for Use of Military Force.
(e) Requirement for Briefings of Congress- The Secretary of Defense shall regularly brief Congress regarding the application of the authority described in this section, including the organizations, entities, and individuals considered to be `covered persons' for purposes of subsection (b)(2).
SEC. 1032. REQUIREMENT FOR MILITARY CUSTODY.
(a) Custody Pending Disposition Under Law of War-
(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (4), the Armed Forces of the United States shall hold a person described in paragraph (2) who is captured in the course of hostilities authorized by the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) in military custody pending disposition under the law of war.
(2) COVERED PERSONS- The requirement in paragraph (1) shall apply to any person whose detention is authorized under section 1031 who is determined--
(A) to be a member of, or part of, al-Qaeda or an associated force that acts in coordination with or pursuant to the direction of al-Qaeda; and
(B) to have participated in the course of planning or carrying out an attack or attempted attack against the United States or its coalition partners.
(3) DISPOSITION UNDER LAW OF WAR- For purposes of this subsection, the disposition of a person under the law of war has the meaning given in section 1031(c), except that no transfer otherwise described in paragraph (4) of that section shall be made unless consistent with the requirements of section 1033.
(4) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY- The Secretary of Defense may, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, waive the requirement of paragraph (1) if the Secretary submits to Congress a certification in writing that such a waiver is in the national security interests of the United States.
(b) Applicability to United States Citizens and Lawful Resident Aliens-
(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.
(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.
(c) Implementation Procedures-
(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall issue, and submit to Congress, procedures for implementing this section.
(2) ELEMENTS- The procedures for implementing this section shall include, but not be limited to, procedures as follows:
(A) Procedures designating the persons authorized to make determinations under subsection (a)(2) and the process by which such determinations are to be made.
(B) Procedures providing that the requirement for military custody under subsection (a)(1) does not require the interruption of ongoing surveillance or intelligence gathering with regard to persons not already in the custody or control of the United States.
(C) Procedures providing that a determination under subsection (a)(2) is not required to be implemented until after the conclusion of an interrogation session which is ongoing at the time the determination is made and does not require the interruption of any such ongoing session.
(D) Procedures providing that the requirement for military custody under subsection (a)(1) does not apply when intelligence, law enforcement, or other government officials of the United States are granted access to an individual who remains in the custody of a third country.
(E) Procedures providing that a certification of national security interests under subsection (a)(4) may be granted for the purpose of transferring a covered person from a third country if such a transfer is in the interest of the United States and could not otherwise be accomplished.
(d) Effective Date- This section shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to persons described in subsection (a)(2) who are taken into the custody or brought under the control of the United States on or after that effective date.
Where can we say exactly is the unconstitutional part in the NDAA?
Blake, I know we're on the same side of the aisle on this, and many other, political issues.
Let me start by saying I'm late to the game. I've only recently started pulling my head out of the sand and REALLY started paying attention and trying to understand. This is all to say to you, and anyone else following along, that I'm nowhere near as well versed in all of this as I should be. One effect of this reality is that when taken to task on an issue, often I need to step back and do my due diligence.
As I have done, briefly, this morning in regard to your question above. As I study the NDAA and its language further, may I point you towards some folks who are better equipped than I to comment:
Senator Lindsey Graham says (bold emphasis mine): "1031, THE STATEMENT OF AUTHORITY TO DETAIN, DOES APPLY TO AMERICAN CITIZENS AND IT DESIGNATES THE WORLD AS THE BATTLEFIELD, INCLUDING THE HOMELAND." Link to C-SPAN video of Senator Graham's statement above: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/appearance/600840428
Col. Larry Wilkerson, US Army (Ret), Former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell
Congressman Ron Paul:
And then there's this: The verbiage you highlighted in red, i.e.
(b) Applicability to United States Citizens and Lawful Resident Aliens-
(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.
(2) LAWFUL RESIDENT ALIENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to a lawful resident alien of the United States on the basis of conduct taking place within the United States, except to the extent permitted by the Constitution of the United States.
A strict reading of this verbiage would cause one to conclude that the President is not required to indefinitely detain American citizens without charge or trial, but still permitted to do so, no?
(1) A person who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored those responsible for those attacks.
(2) A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.
"Is the plan really to crap on the constitution and wipe with the bill of rights? "
Umm, by his own words it (the Constitution) is a collection of negative liberties.......because it restrains what government can do......
Anyone who can voice such a sentiment AND be voted POTUS says much about the state of our country.
The provisions and intentions of the U.S. Constitution do not sunset, they are not "dated" but are just as relevant and purposeful today. Or at least should be.... This opinion that simplistic, singular issues (like Health Care for instance) were things that the Framers could not anticipate and thus did not account for in the Constitution is short-sighted. They did account for the frame work of a working government that empowered the people, but also held them to the utmost responsibility. It seems, we have lost sight of both.........
Re: your comments I highlighted above, yet again you resort to the "Well, look at all the bad stuff that so and so did!" What does ANY of that have to do with Mr. Obama's performance as President? With all due respect, absolutely nothing.
My point is not that because a previous admin did it that the current admin can. My point is that we selectively choose what history we're trying to not repeat. I keep hearing about Stallinist this & that. All I'm trying to say is that that a president that asks for unusual powers is not necessarily going to do evil with those powers - and this is based on recent history which still qualifies as history where I come from.
quote:
No hard feelings, OK? I'm enjoying our debate.
None ever, Jerry. While I don't necessarily ENJOY the debate, it is worthwhile.
Saro, you've agreed that you "sort of" think the Constitution is being raped (my choice of word, not yours). Good, that's a start. You're willing, however, to let the Constitution be raped because you're pretty sure the President won't abuse his powers. You're a much more trusting man than I, amigo.
I'll leave it at this: Keep on eye on upcoming events here and abroad. Question EVERYTHING. Ask yourself "Why is this happening?" and "Why is this happening now?" The folks in charge aren't messing around, my friend. They're playing for keeps.
Believe it, or not, that's your right, and I respect your right to believe anything you want.
But at the very least: Keep your eyes and ears open.
Hey, if you're interested in studying-up on yet another power recently abducted by the King, take a moment to check out HR 347:
quote:
H.R. 347, or the “Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011” was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, while only Ron Paul and two other Republicans voted against the bill in the House of Representatives (the bill passed 388-3). Not a single Democratic politician voted against the bill.
Check this out: We - you and I - can't "disrupt" the business of the government going about their business in "federally restricted buildings and grounds."
Well, gosh, that makes sense right? "Federally restricted" buildings include the White House, natch, and the VP's residence.
Great stuff so far.
Hey, wait a minute! What about the part that says you and I can be arrested and imprisoned for "disrupting" the government in "a building or [on] grounds so restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance." (bold emphasis mine)
I.e, any damn place the President so chooses, if the cynic in me is interpreting this correctly.
A "special event of national significance." What the hell does THAT mean!!
But no worries, I'm sure the Pres is a great guy and really, really loves us. Kumbaya and all that.
Here's a link to the new law, in case you want to see it for yourself:
It doesn't matter if the current President is a "good guy" with newly stolen un-Constitutional power. What about the next President and the one after that? Are they going to be just as "good"? Get on the train, Jew.
The Constitution protects us from the heart of Man. Rationalize it away one drop at a time and you too, my friend, will one day be riding the rails if a government doesn't like the way you walk or talk.
Ferris is kind. I guess he is using honey for a trap but I am more blunt. Wake the f**k up. Listen to Obama's own words and believe them, not what you think you would like for them to mean. He means exactly what he says.
Reindoggy, thanks for adding your voice to this thread. My "tactic" is to try to teach rather than berate. Doesn't mean it's always the correct tactic, but I think it has a better chance at being effective than simply whacking someone upside the head with my point of view.
That said, it's all good: I can think of two people who've participated in this thread whose opinions MAY have been changed a little (or a lot) by the discussion we've had.
Some folks can't/don't/won't get it, regardless of how compelling the evidence may be. In addition, I suspect many of Mr. Obama's most ardent supporters worry about their mailbox money whenever the Constitution is brought up.
Hi to the Mrs. and your Buellunatic neighbors. Hope to see y'all in the wind again one of these days.
Hey Blake, I think this thread has about run its course. If you want to visit more about the NDAA, maybe we start a new thread?
watching him now... is this his attempt to get Ron Pauls votes? Is he related to Rico Suave?? Kinda like the way Ricco seduces your woman,... only he wants votes.
I never yelled at a POTUS before!>!>! ARGH this guy is an ASS!