What Impunity Looks Like

[Solly Mack]

By: Sherrilyn A. Ifill


The failure to fully investigate and pursue prosecution of flagrant violators of the rule of law during the Bush administration's "war on terror" has forever changed the legal landscape of this country. The president and his top Cabinet members and lawyers have been granted impunity for crimes for which others have been prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned in this country for decades.


More important, the failure to hold higher-ups in the Bush administration to account for war crimes may have permanently changed our expectation that political leaders must abide by the laws of war. The line on torture, on detainee treatment, on disclosures to Congress and the public, has never been reset. As Bush and Yoo chat with Oprah and appear on talk shows touting their books, and waterboarding becomes the stuff of late-night jokes, Americans may no longer even know or care what constitutes illegal conduct during war.


This has dangerous implications for our future. While Obama demonstrates considerably greater respect for the rule of law than his predecessor, what will future presidents do? Each time violations of law of this magnitude go prosecuted and unpunished, they set the stage for future instances when threats to our country may cause future administrations to deem the law expendable in the name of protecting our country.

As Justice Robert Jackson said after the Supreme Court failed to strike down the World War II detention of Japanese Americans in Korematsu v. United States, when we accept excuses for illegal conduct by the state, "the principle then lies about like a loaded weapon, ready for any authority that can bring forth a plausible claim of an urgent need."

[peace13]

1. The sad truth is that while Obama lets * fly free...

Obama will one day be tried for far lesser crimes. This is a crazy world!

[Solly Mack]

2. It is a crazy world. The GOP would go after Obama for farting

and accuse him of terrorism through use of a NBC/WMD.

I joke...sorta.

[peace13]

3. : )

[Chulanowa]

8. Pelosi, actually.

"Impeachment is off the table," remember?

[Forkboy]

4. K&R

:kick:

[Solly Mack]

5. Thanks :)

[HCE SuiGeneris]

6. Thanks

And a big :dem: and recommend.

[Solly Mack]

24. You're welcome! and Thank you!

[spanone]

7. k&r

[Solly Mack]

23. Thanks, spanone

[Dragonfli]

9. K&R

[Solly Mack]

22. Thanks!

:)

[lunatica]

10. The first time this country jumped the shark was when the Supremes selected Bush

That was the day the Constitution died. Hmmmm... sounds like a line in a song doesn't it? Something Johnny Cash would sing.

[Solly Mack]

21. That was a snowball that snowballed.

[Vincardog]

11. Obama allows aWoL to walk while HE ignores the constitution as well.

[Solly Mack]

19. The U.S. government has an obligation to prosecute and not doing so is a violation

of the treaties America is party to. Being unwilling or unable (because corruption extends too far) to prosecute is supposed to trigger the obligations of other state parties to prosecute.

I'll keep my tiny teeny bit of hope alive at this point (that someone will choose to do the right thing)

[FiveGoodMen]

12. Making "off the table" some of the worst, most damaging words in the English language

[Solly Mack]

17. Yes. That 3 word combo will continue to be an ass biter.

[BeFree]

13. It has to happen

They have to be indicted. I think they will be indicted. I have to believe they will be indicted.

So, I winder, what will happen when they are indicted? We have to be ready to respond.

What kind of reaction will there be?
I so look forward to the day.. KnR

[Solly Mack]

16. Thanks. I think it needs to happen.

As for the reaction? I'd cheer. Some will disapprove no matter....but I don't care what torture apologists think anyway.

[DeSwiss]

14. K&R

And this is one of the MAIN REASONS I could never and will never support him again.

[Solly Mack]

15. Thank you, DeSwiss

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. This started with Iran-Contra

We refused then, coming home to roost.

[Solly Mack]

25. Chickens will do that...again and again.

[csziggy]

27. No, it started with Watergate and Ford pardoning Nixon

It just continued with Iran-Contra and the rest of the GOP crimes. If Nixon and every member of his corrupt administration and campaign committee had been fully investigated and indicted for all their crimes, then so many of the following GOP administrations would not have been or felt free to continue to commit crimes against the American public. So many of their members were low level flunkies under Nixon and were emboldened by the pass he got on his crimes, they continue to commit more heinous crimes against us and the world.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Stand corrected, and you are correct

he didn't want the distraction and as they say... the best of intentions....

[WinkyDink]

20. Oh, investigations are soon to commence.

[Solly Mack]

26. Sweet!

[csziggy]

28. Too bad they will be against Obama for imaginary crimes. n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

29. I, for one, am sick to death of it.

Any candidate who talks seriously about the need to start legal proceedings against the war criminals I will support 100%.

[Solly Mack]

31. I think America can survive doing the right thing. Sure...it would cause

torture apologists to foam at the mouth - but they do that already.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

43. I think it is LONG overdue.

We have let government war criminals off the hook for so long now that The Bad Guys know they can literally get away with murder and there will be ZERO repercussions. I think we need to put the fear of god into their evil little heads to make them think twice about their shit.

[Solly Mack]

44. What gets me is how people won't seek accountability but then complain about the actions.

So and so is bad and they did this and this (insert abuse of office/crime).....but oh no...can't hold them accountable.

Instead they want to use those crimes and abuses as a rallying cry to get cheers and applause from voters. They'll use the crimes and abuses to get elected....but accountability? Goodness no.

This type of bullshit has been going on for a long time and as a result, the thugs keep coming back into power....because nothing is ever done about them.

[EFerrari]

32. K&R

[Solly Mack]

33. Thanks EFerrari!

I have another thread on the continuing need to change the Army Field Manual back from its 2006 re-write and to take out Appendix M.

I recall how we tried to inform people that the 2006 re-write didn't solve the torture problem.

In case you haven't seen it yet.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9577709

[Karenina]

34. Leading to this kind of impunity...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9512910

[Solly Mack]

35. another one too big to jail

[bobthedrummer]

36. K&R n/t

[Solly Mack]

40. Thanks, btd

[BB1]

37. Hey Solly Mack, this is very important, right?

I can see it is. If this were to happen in Europe, we'd be all over this. Or would we?
Nevertheless it is a sore sight. Everybody and his dog know by now that the whole Iraq-war was nothing but a scam, and still there's nobody taking the blame, let alone some sort of punishment.

These days there's been much talk about getting Tariq Aziz executed. I actually interviewed the man in May 2002. He hinted at setting fire to the oil wells while smoking his Cuban cigars.
Later, after Saddam got caught, I often wondered why both of them weren't send to The Hague. The answer is obvious, of course: Aziz and Hoessein would have incriminated the last five or six US Presidents concerning war crimes.

Still... You think somebody ever will get to them? Bush/Cheney I mean?

[Solly Mack]

39. I think prosecutions are important.

Will they happen? Probably not...but I can hope.

[myrna minx]

38. K&R n/t

[Solly Mack]

41. Thank you, myrna minx

[bvar22]

42. Protecting War Criminals.....

...IS a War Crime.

[Solly Mack]

45. It's a violation of our treaty obligations