Friday, September 29, 2006

The Military Commissions Act of 2006

'This bill gives an administration that lobbied for torture exactly what it wanted.' -Sen. John Kerry

WASHINGTON--Yes, they passed it, but it's far from over. Now, American troops are fair game. They are now more likely to be tortured when they are captured if they are spared by their captors at all. Superpatriots will argue that 'this is the cost we must pay' (for what?), while out of the other-side of their Janus-faces they'll exclaim 'support the troops!' Which is it going to be? Our reaction to 9/11 is embarrassing and absurd. When the IRA attacked the UK, they didn't do this, they used existing intelligence structures and the police. When the Basques have attacked within Spain, they used police. Only in America is this considered right. We have fucked ourselves, possibly permanently, and we are going to get what we deserve if we let this legislation stand. The Supreme Court can still challenge the law, and it is their responsibility to do so. Whether they will or not is unknown.

I don't think the majority of the American public wanted this bill. For those who do: they're coming for you first, you're cowards who will die a thousand deaths, and you deserve this. Let history record that this bill passed 65-34, with some Democrats voting for it. Never mind that it's common knowledge that torture doesn't consistently yield accurate information an interrogator wants, or that it's still illegal under Article 3 of the Geneva Convention--the GOP has stood up to President George W. Bush...and faltered.
Sen. John McCain posted this comment on his website on September 15th:
But the protection our personnel require is not limited to freedom from lawsuits and unjust criminal prosecutions. They also need – and deserve – the undiluted protections offered since 1949 by the Geneva Conventions. For this reason, I oppose unilaterally reinterpreting in law Geneva Common Article 3. Weakening the Geneva protections is not only unnecessary, but would set an example to other countries, with less respect for basic human rights, that they could issue their own legislative “reinterpretations.” This puts our military personnel and others directly at risk in this and future wars.
Senator McCain is not alone. Tomorrow, Sen. Jack Murtha will be honored at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Governor of Pennsylvania, Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.), former Senators Bob Kerrey & Max Cleland (both Viet-vets), and General Hugh Shelton (Ret.), former Joint Chiefs of Staff. Expect a serious-response to all of this from these veterans. They are all highly decorated men who have served this nation, unlike the present administration.

If all of this was about trying to prove GOP-incumbents will oppose the President on anything, passing the Military Commissions Act of 2006 sank it. This is because you have two competing trends: Rove's campaign strategy of illustrating that the GOP is 'tough on terrorists, and strong on security', unlike the Democrats, and the fear that aligning themselves with an unpopular President will sink them in November. If you still believe the GOP has made us safer, you're highly delusional and need professional care. Especially after two major intelligence reports that make-it-plain that Iraq is now a recruiting and training-ground for terrorism. Are you that stupid, America? Do I have to ask? To the 12 Democratic Senators who voted-for this abomination: watch your back, we're coming-for-you. At least we're going down as the individuals who ruined American democracy, to your eternal disgrace. It would be better not to be remember at-all. This fight has just begun.

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