Kiss the Constitution Goodbye - Historic Republican Shame
By: The Grey Havens
Published On: 6/22/2007 12:17:54 PM
Watching the media and the American public over the past few years has underminded forever the concept of "not on my watch". We have watched a failed President and his fundimentalist party allow the most destructive attack on American soil and then turn the resulting fear into an unprecedented power grab potentially undermining the Constitution and it's enshrined liberties for good.
Glenn Greenwald discusses reviews of his new book today, A Tragic Legacy, and the commentary of Conservative Andrew Sullivan should freeze the blood of every American.
the constitutional consequences of another major attack are likely to be terminal to the American experiment in liberty. If a Giuliani or a Cheney is in power on such a day, we can kiss goodbye to the constitution. . . .
America has exchanged some if its basic freedoms for the patina of phony security -- and so easily. The Republican party, to its historic shame, has been the main vehicle for the replacement of doubt, empiricism and calm judgment with certainty, fundamentalism and raw force.
The horrific truth of this statement couldn't be more clear or pressing. Last month the Bush Administration issued a Directive that gives "near dictatorial powers", in the event of a national emergency. There was scarce mention of this in the media. If you ask your neighbors or friends about it, I'd doubt one in ten even have a clue this is happening.
America is slipping away from us, on our watch, the dominos are now set up and all it will take is one idiot with a bomb to end America. That's the weakness of Republicanism, it dilutes the power of American liberty and through fear and greed makes it brittle enough to be broken forever.
The ghosts of patriots call out for the preservation of our nation and our heritage, it's our responsibility to ensure that American Liberty can survive this dark and callow age.
Comments
Great diary - terrific points (Catzmaw - 6/22/2007 12:42:55 PM)
Oddly enough, I was in an airport limo from Worcester Mass. to Boston a couple of days ago. The driver turned out to be a retired guy who'd attended Holy Cross with Clarence Thomas. He told me of going to the school administration back around 1974, he with long flowing hair and Clarence Thomas in dreadlocks(?!!) to ask the school to divest itself of holdings in companies with investments in African plantations where the workers were being exploited and paid miserly wages. He told me he still sees Thomas every Christmas and said: "As an attorney, since I'm going to be seeing Clarence, what would you ask of him?" I replied: "Restore habeas corpus, the Great Writ so inherent in our system of justice that its only mention in the Constitution is under what circumstances it may be suspended. And while you're at it, ask him how any true conservative, whose analysis begins and ends with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, can support the current trend toward an all-powerful unitary executive answerable to no one and superior to its supposedly co-equal branches of government, the legislature and the judiciary." He laughed and said he thought those were great questions and promised to do his best to bring up the topic next time he sees Clarence.
2 more questions for Clarence Thomas (The Grey Havens - 6/22/2007 12:56:40 PM)
1. When are you going to grow back the dreads? It's not like they can fire you.
2. Want a diet coke?
Thank You for This Post. (Susan P. - 6/22/2007 1:51:45 PM)
Glenn Greenwald is a rare and courageous patriot. Every lawyer in America should be speaking out and defending our Constitution and the rule of law from these unprecedented, deliberate, full-scale attacks. Where are the law professors? Where is the media? Where are the teachers? Where are the judges? Where are the many, many government officials who swore an oath of loyalty to the Constitution, not to one foolish, cynical man? We should all be ashamed.
The Photo (Rebecca - 6/22/2007 2:21:18 PM)
Caption for the photo:
"God, please make me dictator."
Like the Bumper Sticker says..."Fundamentalism Dangerous Abroad, Dangerous at Home" (bladerunner - 6/22/2007 3:27:56 PM)
When you start throwing religion in with governing a nation your in big trouble. Unfortunately our current president has had a little bit too much alcohol and cocaine, and he thinks God appointed him, and they're a lot of people who like him, and that just shows you that they're a lot of dumb Americans in this country.
there is an excellent novel that addresses this issue (teacherken - 6/22/2007 5:23:00 PM)
about which I will be diarying on either Sunday or Monday. I will put it up on the front page. Stay tuned.....
Novel? Did you mean... (presidentialman - 6/23/2007 12:42:11 AM)
It can't happen here by Sinclair Lewis? Its supposed to have gotten Lewis out of a funk.
tune in tomorrow am n/t (teacherken - 6/23/2007 9:37:09 PM)
Indeed a great post (AnonymousIsAWoman - 6/22/2007 5:35:36 PM)
Thank you for it. Andrew Sullivan has long been one of my favorite principled moderately conservative bloggers. He's written about his distrust and disgust at the way this administation has trampled on civil liberties and human rights for some time now.
But he hit the nail on the head by mentioning Guliani in the same sentence as Cheney. Guliani, who is still the frontrunner in the Republican primary, is probably one of the most dangerous candidates. In New York, he actually was very unpopular until after 9/11 because of his autocratic "my way or the highway" style of governing.
We've already had six long, difficult years of arrogant and autocratic rule by an administration whose corruption is only now coming to light. Guliani with his questionable ties and alliances will be more of the same only turbo charged.