thenatureofmind

The New American Emperor

People for the American Way has put together a dosier on the Bush administration's illegal and extraconstitutional activities in support of Senator Russ Feingold's motion to censure the president.

Imperial Presidency

The Shredding of the Constitution: The President is Above the Law

Apparently the President feels that the Executive Branch is answerable to no one. The law does not apply to the Executive Branch. They can make their own laws. They are all branches of the government in one, there is no need for any other branches of government, in fact they are just an impediment to the functioning of government. Why not just suspend the congress and judiciary?

Bush shuns Patriot Act requirement: In addendum to law, he says oversight rules are not binding

Administration tells Congress (again) - We won't abide by your "laws"

The American Gulag: Responsibility comes from the Top

"Mr. Bush has refused to hold himself or any of his top political appointees accountable for those catastrophic errors. Indeed, he has promoted many of them. And this is not an isolated problem. It's just one example, among many, of how this president's men run no risk of being blamed for anything that happens, not matter how egregious."

The Joy of Being Blameless

Three years of War for What?

Protesters around the world protest on the third anniversery of Bush's ill conceived war.

"Activist Cindy Sheehan, who energized the anti-war movement last summer with her month-long protest outside President Bush's Texas ranch, joined the Gulf Coast marchers in Mississippi on Friday, but left early Sunday for events in Washington."

War Opponents Protest Around the Globe

The Shredding of the Constitution: Prosecuting the Truthtellers

"The bill would make it a crime to tell the American people that the president is breaking the law, and the bill could make it a crime for the newspapers to publish that fact," said Martin, a civil liberties advocate.

The president of the United States has broken the law by illegally eavesdropping on private communications without a warrant. Has the congress censured the President? Have they impeached the President for high crimes and misdemeanors? No!!! They have written a law making it a punishable offense to tell the American people that the government is breaking the law. This is a law that abolishes the first amendment. They will deny it, but that is exactly what it does.

Reporters Exempt From Eavesdropping Bill?

Nepal calls on US to restore democracy

Thu Mar  9,  9:56 AM ET

US's king should enlist sidelined political parties and restore democracy, a senior Nepalese official said at the end of a two-day visit to the country.

A principal deputy assistant secretary of state for North and South American affairs, met King George and political leaders he ousted after seizing power in 2000 in what he said was a bid to quash a vote count problem.

"We firmly believe that the Democrats must abandon politics and king George must reach out and reconcile with the parties if we are to see a peaceful, prosperous and democratic USA," the Secretary said.

Last November, the main political parties entered a loose alliance with the Democrats to press for democracy.

"You can excuse us for being a little skeptical of Republican intentions at this point," the Secretary said.

George held controversial local elections a year ago that were criticized as a "hollow exercise" by Nepal and boycotted by mainstream political voters who saw massive vote fraud in Ohio and Florida.

"Without the participation of the citizens, one cannot expect elections that can be considered free and fair. The same would go for next year's congressional elections," the Nepalese Secretary said.

Since the republicans began their "religious war" in 2000, at least 500,000 people have been killed.

The New S.S.

"In Paraguay a year and a half ago, members of one of the first of these "Military Liaison Elements" to be deployed were pulled out of the country after killing a robber armed with a pistol and a club who attacked them as they stepped out of a taxi, officials said. Though the shooting had nothing to do with their mission, the episode embarrassed senior embassy officials, who had not been told the team was operating in the country."

Elite Troops Get Expanded Role on Intelligence

The Shredding of the Constitution: GOP rolls over and plays dead

"Moving to tamp down Democratic calls for an investigation of the administration's domestic eavesdropping program, Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday that they had reached agreement with the White House on proposed bills to impose new oversight but allow wiretapping without warrants for up to 45 days."

G.O.P. Senators Say Accord Is Set on Wiretapping

The American Gulag: 14,000 detained without trial in Iraq

"US and UK forces in Iraq have detained thousands of people without charge or trial for long periods and there is growing evidence of Iraqi security forces torturing detainees, Amnesty International said today."

14,000 detained without trial in Iraq

The War on Drugs: Walter Cronkite Reports

Walter Cronkite: Telling the Truth About the War on Drugs (Huffington Post)

The American Gulag: Afganistan

"From the accounts of former detainees, military officials and soldiers who served there, a picture emerges of a place that is in many ways rougher and more bleak than its counterpart in Cuba. Men are held by the dozen in large wire cages, the detainees and military sources said, sleeping on the floor on foam mats and, until about a year ago, often using plastic buckets for latrines. Before recent renovations, they rarely saw daylight except for brief visits to a small exercise yard."

A Growing Afghan Prison Rivals Bleak Guantánamo

The American Gulag: Force Feeding at Guantanamo Challenged

Lawyers representing a captive at Guantamo charge that their client was tortured based on the new anti-torture law. They are asking for an injunction to stop the force feeding.

Guantanamo Force-Feeding Tactics Are Called Torture