Obama’s trying his best to turn America into Amerika.
There is, for instance, the lawlessness of the Obama administration. Many examples spring to mind. Eric Holder refusing to equitably enforce the law against voter intimidation. Indeed, to use the law to squelch Constitutional free speech:
To take another example, Congress refuses to pass the Dream Act, so ICE is does an end-run around Congress.
In the same vein, ICE flouts Arizona law:
Likewise, Congress rejects cap and trade, so EPA does an end-run around Congress:
And now the Obama campaign has an Attack Watch website where Obamatons can narc on their fellow citizens for expressing dissent. What’s next? Minders? Secret police?
The upcoming election isn't between Republicans and Democrats, but between Republicans and banana republicans.
I'm sure you are also outraged that Obama is not prosecuting someone like Dick Cheney. Eavesdropping on Americans without FISA approval carries with it a 5 year prison sentence for each offense and Cheney ordered these by the thousands. He brags about the torture he ordered, which is criminal under both domestic laws and international treaties the US has signed.
ReplyDeleteThen there's the worst crime. Prosecuting a war of aggression that lead to the death of at least a hundred thousand innocent people, a crime for which the Nazis were hanged as were the Japanese. This is on the level of Saddam Hussein or Ceausescu style crimes.
Instead Obama chases around whistle blowers and bankrupts them because they dared to expose the various crimes of his administration and the prior one.
i) Let's see. You're attempting to catch me in a contradiction by imputing to me your far left interpretation of events, then suggesting that's inconsistent with my view of Obama. But since I don't share your premise, the conclusion doesn't follow.
ReplyDeleteii) In addition, I hate to break it to you, but the only folks a Vice President can give orders to are Vice Presidential staff members. He has no authority over the FBI, CIA, NSA, or Pentagon.
iii) Then there's your tendentious definition of "torture."
iv) Plus your tendentious characterization of the Iraq war (if that's what you're alluding to), not to mention ignoring the fact that most of the causalities were caused by fellow Muslims.
But since I don't share your premise, the conclusion doesn't follow.
ReplyDeleteThe only premise I assumed you shared is that Obama should enforce the law. Do you accept that premise or not?
the only folks a Vice President can give orders to are Vice Presidential staff members. He has no authority over the FBI, CIA, NSA, or Pentagon.
That defense didn't get Nazi politicians off the hook. Goring, Goebbels, these other people, may not have had the same ability to give orders that Hitler had but they still implemented a war of aggression. Cheney brags about the fact that he was involved in making this war happen. Of course we should also put Bush on trial.
there's your tendentious definition of "torture."
Same definition our government uses when it prosecutes others for torture.
not to mention ignoring the fact that most of the causalities were caused by fellow Muslims.
That's not true. Polls are conducted asking Iraqi's if family members have died and also the causes. A study by the Lancet found that the largest share of death was attributed to coalition forces (31%), 24% to other causes, with the remainder unknown.
But even if true that doesn't change the law. Implementing an aggressive war is a major crime on US law, even if it results in sectarian violence. That's because the root of the violence is the aggression. That's according to US Justice Robert Jackson from the Nuremburg Tribunal.
DAVID SAID:
ReplyDelete“The only premise I assumed you shared is that Obama should enforce the law. Do you accept that premise or not?”
To the contrary, your comments took for granted your leftwing interpretation of what the law proscribed.
“That defense didn't get Nazi politicians off the hook. Goring, Goebbels, these other people, may not have had the same ability to give orders that Hitler had but they still implemented a war of aggression. Cheney brags about the fact that he was involved in making this war happen.”
Now you’re backpedaling. You originally said Cheney was giving “orders.” Needless to say, Vice Presidents don’t give orders, they give advice. Cheney was a high-level consultant.
Are you suggesting we criminalize advice?
“Of course we should also put Bush on trial.”
Maybe we should put David on trial.
“Same definition our government uses when it prosecutes others for torture.”
i) I doubt John Yoo would agree with you. Not to mention Richard Posner.
ii) Moreover, it’s not as if the law was the same throughout Bush’s tenure. That evolved based on Congressional and judicial actions. Are you suggesting laws should be applied retroactively? Ex post facto law is unconstitutional.
“A study by the Lancet found that the largest share of death was attributed to coalition forces (31%), 24% to other causes, with the remainder unknown.”
i) It’s easy to document tremendous loss of life due to the “insurgents,” al-Qaida in Iraq, jihadis coming into the country from Iran and Syrian, &c.
ii) I also notice your bait-and-switch. “Coalition forces” are hardly synonymous with American forces. So you’d have to indict the heads-of-state of all the coalition partners.
“But even if true that doesn't change the law. Implementing an aggressive war is a major crime on US law, even if it results in sectarian violence. That's because the root of the violence is the aggression. That's according to US Justice Robert Jackson from the Nuremburg Tribunal.”
Several problems:
i) When you bring up the Nuremburg Tribunal, you’re applying the law retroactively. Nullum crimen, nulla poena sine praevia lege poenali
ii) As far as that goes, Hitler didn’t break the law. Ever hear of the Nürnberg Laws?
iii) International law is subject to interpretation by national judiciaries.