The non-unique threat posed by militant Islam

The Huffington Post had an article about recent revelations on the depth of National Security Agency spying on Americans.

Key passages: It's as if the United States has two governments, one open and one very much not... Obama's 2009 marching orders for classifying documents closely resembled those of his predecessors at least back to Ronald Reagan... ‘Secrecy has become an obstacle in many areas of public policy. And we still are living with a classification system that is a legacy of the Cold War era.’

This belies the propaganda that militant Islam represents a unique threat, unprecedented in American history, requiring brand new measures that disregard the Constitution in order to combat.

In reality, it’s the same threat we've faced in the past with different demons. That’s why use the same rhetoric and tactics, only with different names.

Tyranny, freedom, liberty and bloody hypocrites

Please refresh my memory. 

Those of you who've spent the last few weeks bleating hysterically about 'tyranny,' where were you when Bush and his cronies were ramming through the "Patriot Act"  and general ramping up of the national security state (admittedly with the craven complicity of Democrats)? If an armed populace is really supposed to protect us from governmental tyranny, what were you doing under the Bush regime? A few of you spoke up about this but most of you were silent or approving. Certainly no one entertained any 'Second Amendment solutions.'

Those of you who've spent the last few weeks going on about the Constitution, where have you been on the Gitmo kidnappees? What about all of Bush's skirmishes in the war against civil liberties? What about the avalanche of restrictions on voting rights (I'm pretty sure that's in the Constitution too)? A few of you have spoken up but most of you have been silent or approving.  

(Just an FYI: the Bill of Rights and the rest of the Constitution applies to gun owners. Without question. But it also applies to non-gun owners. It applies to gays. It applies to Latinos. It applies to women. And it includes the 2nd Amendment but there's more... read it some time)

Those of you who've spent the last few weeks intoning about threats to freedom and liberty, what you were doing when fanatics demanded we turn the Middle East into a glass bowl or to round up all the Muslims and throw them into camps? A few of you spoke up but most of you were silent and some of you were even part of the frothing, bigoted mob.

Some of you are okay with tyranny and with infringements of liberty, freedom and the Constitution when it's others, but as soon as it *your* hobby/fetish/rights being affected, no matter how minimally, suddenly it's a deluge of indignant outrage.

But guess what. If  you're going to give the finger to everyone else's desire for freedom and constitutional rights, don't be so surprised if they give it right back to you.

GOP oversight in action

File this under the ‘You can’t make this stuff up’ category...

Contrary to some, I think it’s great the new Republican majority read the entire text (well almost all of it) on the floor of the House. It’s probably the first time many of them had actually read any of it... certainly the first time for those who enabled President Bush’s war against civil liberties and aggression against Iraq.

Now that they’ve read the Constitution, perhaps they might be inclined to start following it.

Well, maybe not immediately.

Apparently they weren’t paying attention to the clause which stated that only legally sworn-in members could vote on legislation.

This, from the party that promises more rigorous oversight of the Obama administration.

Constitution Day

Today is Constitution Day.

And in honor of George W. Bush's least favorite holiday which honors a document he doesn't acknowledge, Nader/Gonzalez For President offers:

a five question Constitution Day civics quiz for you.

1. Which candidate opposed the snoop enabling FISA law and the immunity bailout for the telecom companies -- Obama, McCain or Nader?

2. Which candidate called for the impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney for all of their crimes from the illegal war in Iraq to illegal wiretapping of unsuspecting Americans -- Obama, McCain or Nader?

3. Which candidate opposed passage of the Patriot Act and calls for its repeal -- Obama, McCain or Nader?

4. Which candidate opposes the death penalty -- Obama, McCain or Nader?

5. Which candidate would work to repeal corporate personhood --- and shift the power from the corporations back into the hands of the people -- Obama, McCain or Nader?

The answer to each of those questions is Ralph Nader.

So if you support a progressive agenda, then support a progressive candidate.