In light of President Obama's signature on the latest laws that will further erode the US Constitution, we thought it time to reevaluate his fitness to represent the core values of the American experience. There is nothing more fundamental to the value of being an American than freedom of speech, the right to assemble, protest, dissent and demonstrate. With the President's signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 we feel we've entered a new and dangerous era for American citizens and the world. The language has been written so loosely; the very writing and posting of this post could theoretically be determined as an act of hostility against the United States Government.
We have long been at odds with this government over what we consider overt acts of provocation against Iran for developing nuclear material. Whether they intend it for peaceful energy for a military defense strategy is their sovereign right. Based upon the history of nuclear weapons and its usage, we fail to see the legitimacy of the United States' argument for instigating a regional conflict over this issue. If one persisted in making statements, posting comments, producing podcasts, writing editorials, books and or giving talks that clearly undermines the United States' efforts to engage Iran militarily, does he or she have to worry about being snatched off the street or out of their beds in the middle of the night, never to be seen again?
As once proud Americans, independent and progressively leaning liberal thinkers, we never thought we'd be entertaining the use of Key words and phrases like ; despotism, fascism, dictatorship, despotic regime, penal colony, police state, prison planet (think global,they do), in relation to President Barrack Obama. The bright future we voted for seems to be getting darker everyday.
Could it be, that the fresh faced Senator from Illinois who campaigned on hope and change hides the heart of a cold calculating and dispassionate monster. Without question, what's going on behind the idiocy of the GOP nominating process is far more frightening than whomever they eventually decide their torchbearer to be for 2012.
Then on the other hand, the way things are shaping up, it really doesn't matter if a Republican or a Democrat occupies the White House, since both are systematically dismantling the US Constitution while diminishing the value of what it means to be an American. The evidence piling up to support a strong case for Barack Obama .....
While the President has issued a "signing statement" promising that " I want to clarify that my Administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. [...] My Administration will interpret section 1021 in a manner that ensures that any detention it authorizes complies with the Constitution, the laws of war, and all other applicable law. [...] As my Administration has made clear, the only responsible way to combat the threat al-Qa'ida poses is to remain relentlessly practical, guided by the factual and legal complexities of each case and the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system. Otherwise, investigations could be compromised, our authorities to hold dangerous individuals could be jeopardized, and intelligence could be lost. I will not tolerate that result, and under no circumstances will my Administration accept or adhere to a rigid across-the-board requirement for military detention."
The aforementioned sounds almost reasonable, until one keys in on the words "my administration". What concerns us is, A. We only have the President's word for that and B. Will his "merciful restraint" be imposed on succeeding administrations? Getting something like this overturned will take an Act of Congress and we all know what that entails.
When its all said and done, it begs one to ask, what is the value of an American's citizenship these days? The money isn't worth what it used to be, property values are lower everyday, jobs are harder to find, the public education system has failed, private education is unaffordable, as is healthcare, medical outcomes are second third and forth rate compared to most other industrialized nations, the country has crossed the threshold of no return on its debt crisis, and the country is headed toward total lock down save for a few privileged elites and power brokers.
We have no right to privacy, we are all treated like suspects, we can now be detained indefinitely without legal representation, we can be harshly interrogated, we can be targeted for assassination without being convicted of a crime or even given a trial. WTF is a life in a place like that worth? We have to start asking questions like this, because the only recourse is to fight or flee. The idea that things are going to get any better by just standing still is a bad one.
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