Ask the Bush Why It's O.K. To Torture

First, the ad.

Then, the latest reason to kick him out.

President George W Bush has signed into law a bill that sets standards for the interrogation and prosecution of foreign terror suspects held by the US.
The law aims to enshrine defendants' human rights, but still restricts their right to challenge their detention.

It follows a Supreme Court ruling in June that military tribunals set up to prosecute detainees at Guantanamo Bay violated US and international law.

A US spokesman said preparations would now begin to try Guantanamo suspects.

At a ceremony in Washington, Mr Bush said it was a rare occasion when a president signed a law that he knew would save American lives.

"I have that privilege this morning," he said, calling the Military Commissions Act "one of the most important pieces of legislation in the war on terror".

[full story]

This is the sad part...he doesn't even realize how he's given our enemies the greenlight to torture, try, and summarily execute American soldiers. The worst part...he's proud of himself for doing so.

At the tribunals, defendants will be allowed to see some - but not necessarily all - of the evidence against them. The law also bars non-US citizens from filing habeas corpus petitions challenging their detentions in federal court.

Civil liberties groups say the law does not guarantee detainees' rights, and legal challenges are to be expected.

The BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington says that although the law says detainees cannot be subjected to inhumane or cruel treatment, it is not clear which interrogation techniques can still be used.

The US defence department has laid charges against 10 detainees and is preparing to charge about 65 more.

There are about 450 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison facility on Cuba, according to the Bush administration.

Yes, you read that right. The 385 folks in Gitmo that haven't, and it would seem, won't, be charged with crimes now "officially" (according to U.S. "law") don't have any rights to challenge their internment.

King John is probably jumping for joy, as now hereditary rulers can once again rule the citizens of other countries (and those within their own they deem unworthy) with impunity.

UPDATE: Recently the population of the United States crossed the 300,000,000 threshhold.

Every single one of those citizens should see this latest move as nothing more, and nothing less, than A SLAP IN THE FACE.

UPDATE: KO on this b.s. "Your words are lies, sir." KO does a fairly solid job of pointing out that what Bush said while signing the bill was utter and total bullshit.

Glenn Greenwald does a pretty good job of explaining why 30% of the country still like Bush. Essentially, they are being kept ignorant, like it, and have yet to catapult the propaganda.

I can certainly attest to this general lack of good information on the part of Bush supporters after a conversation I had at the hotel bar last evening. My counter-arguer was not only ignorant of the situation in Iraq and this bill, but wouldn't even listen to simple and basic explanations regarding why I feel the way I do about the direction our country was moving. The general response was "liberals are stupid". Actually, that was the whole argument. To make matters worse, when asked the simple question, "What do you mean by 'liberal'". The definition given was "stupid people".

Finally, and on the same point. Here's what Dennis Hastert had to say about this wholly un-American legislation.

The Democratic plan would gingerly pamper the terrorists who plan to destroy innocent Americans' lives. While House Republicans work to deal with these dangers like establishing Terrorist Tribunals that will prosecute enemies of America, Democrat Leader Pelosi and 159 of her colleagues voted in favor of NEW rights for terrorists.

"The House Democrat Leader does not understand that our fight for freedom does not just happen on the battlefield but also on the floor of the House of Representatives. It should come as no surprise that the Democrats in the House put their liberal agenda ahead of the security of America."

[source]

You know what the really scary part is about the Republican rhetoric surrounding the election? Under the new law, they can actually imprison indefinitely those giving material support to "terrorists", which is exactly what their rhetoric is saying that Democrats are doing. I just hope Denny realizes how hypocritical his statement was, as the law he is touting as a part of the "fight for freedom" does nothing but take freedoms away, and our fight "on the battlefield (of Iraq)" is only accomplishing the mission of spending billions of dollars to create more extremists.

And yes, Hastert is one of those "hims" that needs kicking.