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Let's just scrap the Bill of Rights
An op-ed by Harry Browne
Published today on WorldNetDaily
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27949
If you pay attention to news about the "War
on Terrorism," you may be a bit confused
about what our government is doing.
One day Mr. Macho tells us we're at war
and we must put up with the intrusions of
liberty that normally accompany war.
The next day we're told this "struggle" may
last beyond our lifetimes (or at least until
after Nov. 2, 2004). But wars usually come
to an end. So this must not be a war.
Then we're told that people captured (no
matter by whom) will be held in military
prisons and tried by military courts. So this
must be a war.
But then we realize it can't be a war, because
the Constitution provides that only Congress
can declare war -- and it hasn't done so. Thus
this must not be a war.
So is it war, or is it Memorex?
Consistency
It's neither. It's simply whatever the
president chooses to call it on any given
day. They're making up the rules as they go
along. The only consistency is the constant
invocation of the power of the president to
do whatever he wants.
Just as the shredding of the Constitution
has put us at the mercy of congressmen who
spend our money for whatever they choose, so
the "War on Terrorism" has put us at the
mercy of the Bush administration -- which
does whatever it wants in the name of
"national security."
Whatever the politicians choose to call it
on any given day, they keep acting as though
the country is at war with some foreign power.
But since that foreign power isn't located in
any specific part of the world, our government
feels free to attack anyone it wants, anywhere
it wants, anytime it wants -- and call it a
"preemptive" strike against terrorists and
terrorist states.
Proof?
The government never provides any evidence to
support its claims that some country is a
proper target of attack.
Realize that virtually everything you know
about the "War on Terrorism" and virtually
everything you hear in the news emanates --
without proof -- from the same politicians who
lie to us regularly about budget surpluses and
program reductions.
In effect, we're supposed to believe
everything they tell us -- even though in
any other situation we consider them generally
to be deceiving, self-aggrandizing,
power-hungry hypocrites.
Wartime exceptions?
We're told that the usual constitutional rules
don't apply because the country is at war. We
must put up with invasions of civil liberties
-- and we must allow the politicians to vote
for boondoggles and trust that some part of
what they appropriate will actually make the
country safer.
But while some constitutional provisions do
mention exceptions, there are no exceptions
specified for wartime.
In fact, one reason we have the Constitution
is to protect us from politicians at times of
greatest danger.
If it's important that they obey the
Constitution when appropriating money, how
much more important it is that they obey the
Constitution when our lives are at stake?!
Bill of Rights
For the past 140 years, the politicians have
been tearing down the Constitution -- bit
by bit.
In early 2001, the only part of the
Constitution that still provided any protection
for us was the Bill of Rights. Even with
outrages such as asset forfeiture and no-knock
warrants, most accused Americans still enjoyed
the ability to confront witnesses against them,
a right to a speedy trial by jury, and
protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
But no more. Apparently, the Bill of Rights is
a luxury Americans can no longer afford.
At least that's the way George Bush, Dick
Cheney and John Ashcroft see it.
They've locked up Jose Padilla and thrown away
the key. No attorney, no charges against him,
no trial, no plans for a trial.
Should we care?
But who cares? After all, he's a terrorist,
isn't he?
Is he? How do we know that?
Because the politicians told us so.
The reason we have a Bill of Rights is to
guarantee an open trial at which the evidence
is available for all to see -- rather than
depending on the assurances of politicians who
have already proven to be untrustworthy.
What happens if one of those super-efficient
FBIor CIA agents decides you are a terrorist?
You might go to a military prison. No right to
see an attorney -- or even your family. No trial.
And probably no guarantee you won't be tortured.
But you're innocent!
How are you going to prove it if you can't speak
to anyone but the people who arrested you?
Is this the kind of America you want to live in?
An op-ed by Harry Browne
Published today on WorldNetDaily
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=27949
If you pay attention to news about the "War
on Terrorism," you may be a bit confused
about what our government is doing.
One day Mr. Macho tells us we're at war
and we must put up with the intrusions of
liberty that normally accompany war.
The next day we're told this "struggle" may
last beyond our lifetimes (or at least until
after Nov. 2, 2004). But wars usually come
to an end. So this must not be a war.
Then we're told that people captured (no
matter by whom) will be held in military
prisons and tried by military courts. So this
must be a war.
But then we realize it can't be a war, because
the Constitution provides that only Congress
can declare war -- and it hasn't done so. Thus
this must not be a war.
So is it war, or is it Memorex?
Consistency
It's neither. It's simply whatever the
president chooses to call it on any given
day. They're making up the rules as they go
along. The only consistency is the constant
invocation of the power of the president to
do whatever he wants.
Just as the shredding of the Constitution
has put us at the mercy of congressmen who
spend our money for whatever they choose, so
the "War on Terrorism" has put us at the
mercy of the Bush administration -- which
does whatever it wants in the name of
"national security."
Whatever the politicians choose to call it
on any given day, they keep acting as though
the country is at war with some foreign power.
But since that foreign power isn't located in
any specific part of the world, our government
feels free to attack anyone it wants, anywhere
it wants, anytime it wants -- and call it a
"preemptive" strike against terrorists and
terrorist states.
Proof?
The government never provides any evidence to
support its claims that some country is a
proper target of attack.
Realize that virtually everything you know
about the "War on Terrorism" and virtually
everything you hear in the news emanates --
without proof -- from the same politicians who
lie to us regularly about budget surpluses and
program reductions.
In effect, we're supposed to believe
everything they tell us -- even though in
any other situation we consider them generally
to be deceiving, self-aggrandizing,
power-hungry hypocrites.
Wartime exceptions?
We're told that the usual constitutional rules
don't apply because the country is at war. We
must put up with invasions of civil liberties
-- and we must allow the politicians to vote
for boondoggles and trust that some part of
what they appropriate will actually make the
country safer.
But while some constitutional provisions do
mention exceptions, there are no exceptions
specified for wartime.
In fact, one reason we have the Constitution
is to protect us from politicians at times of
greatest danger.
If it's important that they obey the
Constitution when appropriating money, how
much more important it is that they obey the
Constitution when our lives are at stake?!
Bill of Rights
For the past 140 years, the politicians have
been tearing down the Constitution -- bit
by bit.
In early 2001, the only part of the
Constitution that still provided any protection
for us was the Bill of Rights. Even with
outrages such as asset forfeiture and no-knock
warrants, most accused Americans still enjoyed
the ability to confront witnesses against them,
a right to a speedy trial by jury, and
protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
But no more. Apparently, the Bill of Rights is
a luxury Americans can no longer afford.
At least that's the way George Bush, Dick
Cheney and John Ashcroft see it.
They've locked up Jose Padilla and thrown away
the key. No attorney, no charges against him,
no trial, no plans for a trial.
Should we care?
But who cares? After all, he's a terrorist,
isn't he?
Is he? How do we know that?
Because the politicians told us so.
The reason we have a Bill of Rights is to
guarantee an open trial at which the evidence
is available for all to see -- rather than
depending on the assurances of politicians who
have already proven to be untrustworthy.
What happens if one of those super-efficient
FBIor CIA agents decides you are a terrorist?
You might go to a military prison. No right to
see an attorney -- or even your family. No trial.
And probably no guarantee you won't be tortured.
But you're innocent!
How are you going to prove it if you can't speak
to anyone but the people who arrested you?
Is this the kind of America you want to live in?
