Please, please, please go read this

[solarbird]

Please, please, please, please, please go read this. I'd excerpt but there's just too much. Please. The whole thing. Please.

Also, here's the the ACLU's bulletpoints of the worst part of this FISA bill. There are a lot.

Comments

[westrider.livejournal.com]

I was too depressed to comment this morning. As was pointed out, this was pretty much the ultimate test for Obama to show that he was in fact in favour of change and standing up for what's right, and he failed it as hard as he could have. I had put too much hope in the man, and now feel incredibly betrayed, and rather adrift.

I'm going to spend some time writing a very carefully worded letter of disapproval to his office, and then...I don't know. Try to find who else is out there that might be worth some support, that might actually care about the rule of law.

[mamishka.livejournal.com]

Today at the Fremont Parade they held a New Orleans style funeral procession for Lady Liberty. A 'waitress' came up to me and asked if I would like to order anything from the Bill of Rights. I asked for some freedom of speech but she said, "Oh sorry honey, we're fresh out of that."

I don't know what to do any more but just hang on.

[solarbird]

I was too depressed to comment this morning.
I know the feeling. Hence a links-only post.

As was pointed out, this was pretty much the ultimate test for Obama to show that he was in fact in favour of change and standing up for what's right, and he failed it as hard as he could have.
I had hoped more generally - without buying into it yet, but still, had hoped more generally - that this had indicated the emergence of an actual opposition party within the Democratic Party. That hope has proven false. I believe the Democratic Party is hopelessly corrupt and cannot be salvaged.

I had put too much hope in the man, and now feel incredibly betrayed, and rather adrift.
Well, we have to reframe decision-making now. We have to remember that we do not elect a President of a limited-powers Republic; we elect an imperial Executive of an Empire, with powers to do whatever that Executive sees fit to do, up to and including declaring himself above the law. In that context, as long as voting still exists - and, like the Roman Senate, it would no doubt continue to exist indefinitely, as tradition and appearances are important things - the selection of Emperor remains extremely important - really, even more so. It's that "moment of accountability," and all that; more importantly, it's necessary to choose a benevolent monarch over, say, the senile and power-mad.

I'm going to spend some time writing a very carefully worded letter of disapproval to his office, and then...I don't know. Try to find who else is out there that might be worth some support, that might actually care about the rule of law.
There is one marginally-functional branch of the Federal government, the Supreme Court. We're very close to it no longer functioning; there are four authoritarian judges on the bench. One more will render it hopelessly impotent. Replacing the oldest non-authoritarian judges with new non-authoritarian judges (if this indeed happens in an Obama administration, something I do not taken as a given) does not guarantee its continued survival as a functional branch - the overtly-autocratic GOP wanted the restoration of habeas corpus rights ruling ignored, and, in some cases, wanted the military sent to storm the Court - it does at least give it a chance of survival. A McCain Imperium, on the other hand, would end its functionality post haste.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Me, too, on both counts... I already posted mine for comment, and will likely post it with a few days. *sigh*

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Good point about the Supreme Court. Things are still feeling pretty dark, but It's not completely pitch black. There are a couple little sparks remaining.