Law professor describes torture bill as the mark of a banana republic

[savemefromdumbya]

University of Texas constitutional law professor Sanford V. Levinson described the bill in an Internet posting as the mark of a "banana republic." Yale Law School Dean Harold Koh said that "the image of Congress rushing to strip jurisdiction from the courts in response to a politically created emergency is really quite shocking, and it's not clear that most of the members understand what they've done."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/28/AR2006092801763_2.html?sub=AR

[mmonk]

1. I intend to let them know. I hold those that did this

forever in contempt.

[Erika]

3. Yep. They've stripped our rights away

and are acting as peacocks strutting their tail fans for being against terrorists.

[Solly Mack]

2. If the law makers don't understand what they have done

that's beyond irresponsible .... it's criminal.

Ignorance is no excuse of the law...and it for damn sure isn't an excuse law makers get to use.

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. The same excuse was used when they signed the UnPatriotic Act

and when they signed the IRW resolution. :banghead:

[Hissyspit]

4. Recommended. n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. They really need to get re-elected so that they can get on with the

dismantling of the balance of the new deal programs.

[Straight Shooter]

6. Oh, they understand what they've done.

They just don't care. Party over country, rah-rah-rah!

[Eric J in MN]

7. Yes, they know. There were debates. The Democrats...

...said what was in the bill.

[savemefromdumbya]

11. then, why?

[Eric J in MN]

23. I think the Republicans are so lockstep because...

...Karl Rove tells them that they won't get any money from the RNC unless they vote with Bush on major bill.

It would good for America if the national parties had less money. Right now the maximum donation is $26,700 to the DNC and/or RNC.

If it were up to me, that would be lowered to $100.

[mazzarro]

8. Can we rename the repuke party?

I suggest the 'BANANA republic Party'!

[Dem2theMax]

9. They are the anti-American party. Period. nt.

[savemefromdumbya]

12. trouble is

about half America doesn't think so

[enough]

10. k&r

[bloom]

13. Banana Republic is right.

From some of the arguments that were made for this on the Senate floor - it's clear that BushCo wants us to think of the people in Guantanamo and any other secret prison as "Prisoners of War" (with no rights - not even Geneva rights) - not as people who are "Possible Criminals with rights". Nothing that they should have to prove.

The idea seems to be that we are to believe that virtually all outspoken Muslims and sympathizers - or anyone accused thusly by anyone else - are to be considered "Prisoners of War". Essentially anyone who is "captured" - and of course they can "capture" anyone they want wherever they want.

That would include Maher Arar - snagged at an airport - and could include people like Tariq Ramadan or any other political "enemy" (basically someone who disagrees). It also includes any of the 100s (1000's?) of people that the Pakistani gov't (and others) turned in for 5000K each.

That is the level of delusion (or evil - if you want to think of it that way) that we are dealing with.

[savemefromdumbya]

16. who defined that we are at war?

is 'peace keeping duty' in Iraq and Afghanistan a war?

[bloom]

21. The Republicans would like for us to think that we are at war

with the entire world. And esp. the 1.3 billion (or whatever) Muslims (who might be Islamists :crazy: ).

Maher Arar is from Canada. (And now the Coast Guard is going around shooting their machine guns on the Great Lakes - "to combat terrorists flooding across the border from Canada by boat" http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060928.wlakes28/BNStory)


People need to start saying "what terrorists?" :where is the proof?" and evidence from torture does not count as evidence.


Too many people are willing to roll over when the Republicans say "terrorists" and believe them - proof or not. I just don't see people challenging the idea - Democrats - or whomever.

[Blackhatjack]

14. Conservative, Fundamentalist, Partisan Euphoria Supplants Common Sense

These Republicans are herded just like sheep. All they have to hear is the sound bite and action word fed to them by this Administration and they leave all pretense of common sense and logical independent thinking to their handlers.

They are the enablers, and would function very well in a "Banana Republic."

[alfredo]

15. Those who voted for this are also war criminals

[savemefromdumbya]

17. yes exactly what we need is the International Law Courts

[alfredo]

19. I'm getting an opinion from an expert in international law.

It might take him a few days to get back to me. He's undergoing chemotherapy.

[pberq]

20. the authority of an authoritarian despot to the president

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/09/29/150254

". . .what this bill authorizes is really the authority of an authoritarian despot to the president. I mean, what it gives him is the power, as the senator said, to detain any person anywhere in the world, citizen or non-citizen, whether living in the United States or anywhere else. I mean, what kind of authority is that? No checks and balances. Nothing. Now, if you’re a citizen, you still get your right of habeas corpus. If you’re a non-citizen, as the senator pointed out, you’re completely finished. Picked up, legal permanent resident in the United States, detained forever, no writ of habeas corpus."

[Lone_Star_Dem]

22. They should not be lawmakers if they don't respect the seriousness

of the power they hold.

I know this is a simplistic and idealistic view I hold, but I don't think they should hold their careers in higher esteem than they do their country
.

[Wilms]

24. K&R n/t