Magna Carta

[lumberjack_jeff]

At the very beginning of the modern age, on June 15th, 1215 at an English meadow named Runnymede the foundation of civil society was created; the first document which eventually became the Magna Carta. Its original intent was to settle disputes between King John, Pope Innocent III and the English Lords. The primary effect of this agreement was to prevent the king from ruling entirely by fiat and to assure that his actions were bound by law.

The set of documents which comprise the Magna Carta are the lynchpin of all western common law societies. It was the primary template for our Constitution.

Among the things that the Magna Carta did for the citizenry was to guarantee that if the king were to throw you in a dungeon, you had an opportunity to ask the king (or his representatives) in open court, why you were being held. Until that point, it was common practice for the king to throw his detractors in dungeons where they died anonymous deaths. This principle eventually became known as Habeas Corpus or literally, "produce the body". This principle is embodied in our constitution as "No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

It's hard to envision a more important legal principle in a free society. What good are other freedoms if the king can throw you in a dungeon, anonymously, until you starve?

All of the bills currently being considered for the purpose of legitimizing torture, have two other elements, 1) substitute the defendant's access to our court system with military tribunals - which are answerable only to the "king" and 2) denying the right of habeas corpus. It doesn't matter who you are, under any of these bills currently under Republican consideration, the President has the authority to dissappear anyone - even citizens, at will, and never say why, except to say that it's a national security issue.

Liberals ridicule conservatives for wanting to recreate the 18th century. This gives conservatives entirely too much credit. They're obviously shooting for the dark ages.

... and Democrats are afraid of speaking out on the topic for fear that the MSM will describe them as unsupportive of totalitarianism.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/19/1348212
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_corpus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2007532.cms

[mike_c]

1. this is the key, and democrats are-- at best-- not resisting much....

The Bush administration and at least part of the congress are seriously considering elimination of the rock bottom foundation of our system of laws, and the "opposition party" isn't raising much opposition. I feel like I'm stuck in a bad Twilight Zone episode about some evil parallel America.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. So long as the complicit media describes it in euphemisms...

people won't ever catch on.

"Tribunals? Interrogation? uh, okay, if you think we need 'em." :shrug:

[cool user name]

2. K&R ...

Great reminder.

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. Thanks Cool, Kos has a good post on the topic.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/9/18/154635/318

[bobbieinok]

4. REMEMBER: Magna Carta ONLY applied to NOBLES

I remember when I learned this; it really freaked me out.

BUT you're quite right; the Magna Carta was a MAJOR FIRST STEP in stopping the absolute power of a/the ruler.

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. True enough. Anyone who wasn't a noble was a serf or a slave.

[Odin2005]

6. Actually nobles and free commoners.

Medieval England's population had a much larger amound of commoners that were not serfs then other kingdoms in Western Europe.

[goforit]

7. Great post Jeff!

[Greyhound]

8. The flock is so far removed that they've forgotten this basic principle?

Thanks for bringing it up. :kick: & R

[magellan]

10. Should be a LTTE!

Great information and you presented it well. If you don't shoot this off to a paper or two I'll want to know why. ;)

... and Democrats are afraid of speaking out on the topic for fear that the MSM will describe them as unsupportive of totalitarianism.

This is the root cause of the Dems' floundering, IMO. A big part of the reason I feel more hopeless every day is because there is no opposition party. There are no Dems shouting from the rooftops that we will NOT "debate", pardon or otherwise condone torture, regardless of what the lunatic king wants.

When the Dems get off their a$$es and start raising the roof about the crimes being committed by BushCo, Americans will get behind them.

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. I took your advice...

I sent a version of it to the Seattle PI and the local paper - it might be a bit too long for the PI.

thanks!

[magellan]

12. Cool!

Don't worry, if they think it's too long they'll edit it down a bit. For a really good piece like yours they may leave it as stands, however.

Good luck, let us know if they publish it!

[Greyhound]

13. Kickin it overnight.

:kick:

[EFerrari]

14. Zogby has been polling for issues of concern. The poll gives you

the opportunity to write in two. Today I used habeus corpus and election fraud.