I know I asked for more like this a couple of weeks ago… Looks like Keith's ready to step up and give it to me.
'Beginning of the end of America'
I never knew I was a Keith Olberman fan (and, frankly, doubt this is going to make me check out his column on a regular basis). But we certainly agree on this particular point. (I can't help but point out that I've had the Ben Franklin quote he mentions on page 2 as an email signature since shortly after 9/11, when it became obvious that Mr. Bush and company weren't particularly concerned with notions like the Constitution, liberty and responsibility.)
I guess one can take some comfort from the examples that Olberman mentions—Adams, Wilson and Roosevelt—and the thought that the country survived those threats. But it's still a sad day to see this kind of legislation proposed, let alone passed and signed into law. (Let me get this straight… Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about a blow-job. George Bush shreds the Constitution and gets applause. Makes perfect sense.)
I have, cynically, over the past few years said that we should remove the phrase "Land of the free, home of the brave" from the national anthem, since we're on our way to neither. But I don't think it's really the public's fault on this one. The president has been feeding us a steady diet of fear since 9/11 (and yes, I understand the justification for it… I just don't agree with buying into it).
And Congress has bought into that notion… that the people of this country believe that the only way to protect the country is to give up our freedoms and our high standards and comply with whatever the president tells us we need to do. And out of fear (whether that's fear of the voter, or the leadership of their party, or genuine fear of terrorism) they have, time and again, given the president exactly what he wants and left us now with this situation. With an Act that suspends habeas corpus and gives the nod to torture.
I presume that many of these lawmakers (again, out of fear) voted for this bill with the assumption that it would, eventually be overturned by the Supreme Court. Because, even with the Court stacked in his favor as it is now, I can hardly believe that this bill can sustain the scrutiny of the Court. But then, that makes these lawmakers even more cowardly than I originally presumed, as it means they did not have the guts to stand up to the president on this point, for fear of their positions, and hoped that someone else would do their work for them.
Whatever the case, I'm filled with contempt for all involved. Is this what we asked for? Perhaps, since so few of us have, apparently, stood up to say no.
'Beginning of the end of America'
I never knew I was a Keith Olberman fan (and, frankly, doubt this is going to make me check out his column on a regular basis). But we certainly agree on this particular point. (I can't help but point out that I've had the Ben Franklin quote he mentions on page 2 as an email signature since shortly after 9/11, when it became obvious that Mr. Bush and company weren't particularly concerned with notions like the Constitution, liberty and responsibility.)
I guess one can take some comfort from the examples that Olberman mentions—Adams, Wilson and Roosevelt—and the thought that the country survived those threats. But it's still a sad day to see this kind of legislation proposed, let alone passed and signed into law. (Let me get this straight… Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about a blow-job. George Bush shreds the Constitution and gets applause. Makes perfect sense.)
I have, cynically, over the past few years said that we should remove the phrase "Land of the free, home of the brave" from the national anthem, since we're on our way to neither. But I don't think it's really the public's fault on this one. The president has been feeding us a steady diet of fear since 9/11 (and yes, I understand the justification for it… I just don't agree with buying into it).
And Congress has bought into that notion… that the people of this country believe that the only way to protect the country is to give up our freedoms and our high standards and comply with whatever the president tells us we need to do. And out of fear (whether that's fear of the voter, or the leadership of their party, or genuine fear of terrorism) they have, time and again, given the president exactly what he wants and left us now with this situation. With an Act that suspends habeas corpus and gives the nod to torture.
I presume that many of these lawmakers (again, out of fear) voted for this bill with the assumption that it would, eventually be overturned by the Supreme Court. Because, even with the Court stacked in his favor as it is now, I can hardly believe that this bill can sustain the scrutiny of the Court. But then, that makes these lawmakers even more cowardly than I originally presumed, as it means they did not have the guts to stand up to the president on this point, for fear of their positions, and hoped that someone else would do their work for them.
Whatever the case, I'm filled with contempt for all involved. Is this what we asked for? Perhaps, since so few of us have, apparently, stood up to say no.
Comments
Second of all, Olberman is an assbag. He's a third-rate journalist who is really a sports guy (and still does sports on the radio), a first class blowhard who doesn't do his homework, and a blustering idiot with ratings that would get him cancelled on the Food Network. He's lucky he's on MSNBC.
Third of all, we already talked about this bill, and neither of us likes it. I think its bad and dangerous and all that. But, I don't think that ANYONE can be called an 'enemy combatant'. You actually have to conspire to harm America for that. Can the term be misused by corrupt politicians? Yes. But, assuming it will be misused in massive, historical fashion is just more fear mongering from the other side. This is a bad law, that I hope will be overturned soon, but it does not make the government more dangerous than fanatic Islam.
Q
Olberman could be an assbag... like I said, these columns aren't convincing me I'd read any more (after all, he IS on MSNBC). They're just resonating with me at this point.
And you're right, we both agree this is a bad bill and are hoping it will get overturned soon. I never said it made the government worth than fanatic Islam. I'm just not willing to trust Bush, or frankly any politician, with this particular power. So I feel compelled to express that. Often.