Death of a Nation

From the N Y Times

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Tuesday to approve the nomination of Michael B. Mukasey as attorney general despite opposition from most of the committee’s Democrats over Mr. Mukasey’s refusal to label a harsh interrogation technique used on terrorist suspects as torture.

Times Topics: Michael B. Mukasey
The vote, 11 to 8, with two Democrats joining all of the committee’s Republicans in supporting Mr. Mukasey, all but assured him of final confirmation by the full Senate. The Senate’s Democratic leaders are expected to schedule a vote by next week.

America cannot be destroyed from without. She is too strong, too diverse, and too resilient. We would unite in an instant against an attacking, invading, or occupying force. (Precisely what the Iraqis are doing with respect to us--duh!)

But we can be destroyed from within. Should it happen, it would be gradual.

Did I say "should it happen"?

My friends, it is happening.

Free speech? In restricted zones.

Free press? Not with deregulation and the consolidation of media into a few hands.

Privacy? Not when the Fourth Amendment is shredded and warrantless search and seizure are allowed.

Right to a speedy trial, confrontation by accusers, and knowledge of charges? Not when you can be seized on the President's sole say-so and "rendered."

Human rights? Civil rights? Legal rights? You don't have any in the eyes of Chenery, Bush, and their gang of thugs.

Is waterboarding torture? Historians seem to think so when it was used by the Inquisition. American jurisprudence thought so when it was used by the Japanese in WWII. The world thought so when it was used by the Khmer Rouge. People who have witnessed it or voluntarily submitted to it think so. It certainly violates international law to which the United States is a signatory. The whole world thinks it's torture.

But Mukasey is not sure, because if he came out and said waterboarding was torture, then that would put the highest echelons of the administration in violation of the law. Yes, the US Code. Can there be any question that authorizing torture constitutes a high crime?

Mukasey is not certain whether the President is subject to the law either. There might just be exceptions, you know.

And the United States Senate is likely to consent to this man being the chief legal officer of this nation?

Granted, we are not going to get an AG that is not to Bush's liking. If the Senate doesn't consent to one, Bush will establish one with a recess appointment. Is that really worse than the United States Senate being a co-conspirator in lawlessness?

I am watching the United States of America die around me, piece by piece. How can the People of this land take back our power, our laws, our rights, our freedom, our country, our pride?

DiFi and Schumer should, as my mama would have phrased it, be horsewhipped in the public square. And that's too good for them. I am ashamed of Congress and, as usual, outraged at the White House.

God is merciful, but she is not going to "fix" our own self-destructive stupidity. Redemption is not that simple or that magical. My beloved country is fucked beyond belief.
--the BB