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Ear to the Ground

Bush’s Torture Bill: Worse Than You Think

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Posted on Sep 28, 2006

The interrogation bill headed for Bush’s desk would allow him to detain anyone indefinitely and decide (privately) what constitutes torture; it eliminates habeas corpus and judicial review, and it permits coerced evidence.

The N.Y. Times calls it “our generation’s version of the Alien and Sedition Acts.”


N.Y. Times:

There is not enough time to fix these bills, especially since the few Republicans who call themselves moderates have been whipped into line, and the Democratic leadership in the Senate seems to have misplaced its spine. If there was ever a moment for a filibuster, this was it.

We don’t blame the Democrats for being frightened. The Republicans have made it clear that they’ll use any opportunity to brand anyone who votes against this bill as a terrorist enabler. But Americans of the future won’t remember the pragmatic arguments for caving in to the administration.

They’ll know that in 2006, Congress passed a tyrannical law that will be ranked with the low points in American democracy, our generation’s version of the Alien and Sedition Acts.

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By shari weems, September 15, 2007 at 3:48 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I am sorry-  I may have to stop digging to clear my name.  They are going to attack me with other things I may or may not have done while nursing.
\

I can’t survive if this C-open group continues to follow me around and try to hold me mentally.  I have to take care of my children. I have 2 who aren’t grown yet.

I will give all of my notes and diskettes to my oldest son.

Just know that I did nothing to deserve this horrible treatment.

I think the government saw me coming to fight back, regarding my privacy and they decided to finish me.

It’s sad, because I work for them. 
You know everyone/everybody has to cover themselves.


Take care of my children and grandchildren please. This was a set-up from the very beginning.

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By john lovelace, October 15, 2006 at 6:04 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I,am a black man in white america we have asked you the white people to open your eyes for years but you never hear a thing we say.So when our rights are taken away you just sat and say and do nothing.Well when the law strikes down the rights of the blacks it also strikes down the right of the whites too.Stop crying its to damn late for you and me.

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By John, October 1, 2006 at 6:44 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

All the previous comments have an air of suprise that the US government would pass such an act. The rest of the world is not suprised because to the rest of the world the history and growth of the US is seen as development based on murder, theft,deception and exploitation.
  Your collective heads are coming out of the sand at last. The principles of your constitution have been undermined and manipulated for years and it has taken a wanker like Bush to wake you up to this fact.
  When I asked an IRA sympathiser how he could support the killing of innocent civilians in pub bombings and other attacks he responded that the people allow their government to kill and oppress, they have the power to stop them and do not therefore they are taken as supportive of that government policy, becoming the enemy and legitimate targets.
  Even the thinkers in the us military are covering their behinds as they now relaise they are mere mercenaries. If we had enough money we could probably pay some of them to stage a coup.
  Wish you well US citizens. I hope you do what is right.

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By Kevin, September 30, 2006 at 10:25 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Now, more than ever, I am convinced the We, The People, have no choice but to remove those in government by any means, including force.

The White House and the Congress are now doing more damage to this nation than anyone else.  Under the guise of protecting us, they stuff their pockets with bribes while shredding what remains of the Bill of Rights.

We can never expect those in power to give up their power.  It must be taken away from them.  Voting is now a bad joke.  We must get them out another way.

History will judge us harshly if we let this nation continue down this path of facism.  We, The People, must rise up and stop this government in its tracks, by any means available.  To do less is to condemn our children to an omnipotent federal government with the means to dictate and punish at will.

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By MARIAM RUSSELL, September 30, 2006 at 11:54 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Folks, this is designed to keep these gangs out of court…..so how will it ever go to the supreme court. Face it, we have f!!!!d ourselves.After all, the government is us, and we have at least tolerated these jerks. So now we get to be all of the people we have written about, had nightmares about, said, about the Germans, HOW COULD THEY LET THIS HAPPEN….THEY HAD TO KNOW…YOU CANNOT KEEP SOMETHING LIKE THAT UNDER WRAPS….so we did know and went along to this point. How are we going to feel when they come for us or our children…...BECAUSE THEY WILL.

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By Bob, September 29, 2006 at 10:46 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

It’s The End Of The World As We Know It…But I Feel Fine.

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By kevin99999, September 29, 2006 at 5:16 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Regardless who wins the mid-term elections, it will change the fact that now we are living in a legal dictatorship where any political opponent can be picked, jailed, tortured and put to death and no one would know. This country makes mockery of the terms like ‘fredom’ or ‘individual rights.

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By Mystech, September 29, 2006 at 7:30 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I read your fellow blogger’s (Molly Ivan) article and couldn’t agree more.  The tactics of the Bush regime are almost a carbon copy of those taken by the Nazi party. It’s a ugly comparison, but one who’s time has come.

http://www.arcane.org/?p=1643

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By Mad as Hell, September 29, 2006 at 6:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

You realize, of course, that very soon, Mad King George and his Merrie Fascists are going to send agents to TruthDig.com, and demand to know who we posters are.  They are going to want to be able to come to us, arrest some of us, and intimidate the rest.  Why?

For DARING to question the empire-building and republic destroying actions and lies of Mad King George.  And it will all be under the rubric of “protecting” America.

12 Democratic senators, enough to have ensured a cloture-proof filibuster to stop this bill, caved in and voted to end American Freedom.  Completely corrupt, spineless cowards, whose ONLY saving grace is they aren’t Republicans, even though they are DINOs—Democrats In Name Only.

Republicans, like Arlen Spector, voted for the bill, but said they were against it.  Spector actually said he expects the Supreme Court to strike it down.

Right. Sure. Buy that and I’ll sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.

There are four GUARANTEED votes to uphold ANY liberty-shattering action by the President: Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito.  That means, unless Kennedy does the right thing, they’ll rubber stamp it.  Don’t forget, if a justice is unable to participate, a 4-4 tie upholds the lower court’s decision—courts that have been packed by Bush with neo-con fascists, like Alito and Scalia.

Don’t be surprised if one of the “liberal” (i.e. non-fascist) justices becomes ill at an inconvenient time for the forces of freedom.

Be afraid.  Be very afraid. Our 226 year experiment in freedom is ending unless we stop it.

Expect TruthDig.com to be either forced to shut down, or forced to yield the information on posters.

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By Jimbo, September 29, 2006 at 12:24 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The business section of the LA Times of September 28 has an article about 7-Eleven dumping Citgo written by two staff writers, Elizabeth Douglass and Marc Lifsher.  In reference to the devil remark made at the UN by Hugo Chavez they write ?a growing backlash against anti-American comments by Chavez?.  Equating anti-Bush remarks with being anti-American is not something one would expect to read in a major newspaper.  This line of thinking is as dangerous and unacceptable as the suspension of habeas corpus and the okay of warrentless wiretaps.  Where are we headed?

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By yours truly, September 28, 2006 at 8:35 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Doesn’t make any difference since we win in November and, STAT, this bill becomes null and void.  What do we do about our Democrats in Congress who just sold out?  We vote them in anyways because we have to concentrate on the big picture which is winning in November. Then there’ll be plenty of time for former sell-outs to either climb aboard or get off the new ship of state as we the people turn towards changing the world.

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By Ron, September 28, 2006 at 8:34 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Whether or not the bill was passed is not really the major point. The “Point”, is this Bill with its derogatory disregard for the United States Constitutional principles, even made it inside the Capitol building to be even mentioned and even commented upon is initself unconstitutional and even a criminal act by the parties involved in its drafting. READ the Constitution please! This is very disturbing that our Nation with its check and balances of the people we rely upon to voice the concern of the “People” will allow this to happen is not only criminal but a “treasonous act” based upon FACT that the “Neocon War” has already been proven to be a scam within itself, but with total disregard to the citizens of not only our nation of “humane principles and morality” of by which it was founded, but also of international law.

Coffeelover,,,,,,,,  God Bless truthdigger…

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By Amy, September 28, 2006 at 4:42 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Another step towards a fascist nation. Good ole America…who would have ever thought it could happen here?

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By harald hardrada, September 28, 2006 at 4:01 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

the new york times, as represented by then-columnists keller, safire & friedman, was delighted when bush sent our girls & boys to die or be maimed in iraq

the new york times breathed not a word when israel dropped a million american-made cluster bombs on southern lebanon after it had already bombed lebanon to smithereens

the new york times says nothing as israel keeps killing palestinian women & children, & as israel cuts off half the power in gaza, all so as to pressure palestinians into turning against the hamas officials they elected in a free vote

now the new york times complains that our leaders are taking away our freedoms—what the gifted editors & reporters of the new york times fail to see is that their own views have helped to transfuse poison into the bloodstream of america’s foreign policy, which poison can only circulate back into the domestic side

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