US Supreme Court Throws Out Wire-Tapping Case
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a bid by journalists and professors to challenge the legality of the US administration’s wire-tapping program.
The program, brought in after the September 11, 2001 attacks, allows US national security agencies to monitor suspect telephone calls and emails between the United States and overseas without first obtaining a judge’s order.
In 2006 journalists and teachers filed a suit against the program maintaining it violated their right to privacy, saying because they had regular contacts with the Middle East, their freedom of expression would be restrained.
They specifically targetted the National Security Agency in the case which has now come before the country’s highest court.
A lower court judge initially ordered an end to the program immediately, but the appeals court in July overturned that ruling saying the plaintiffs had not proved that their foreign communications were being monitored.
On Tuesday the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, as usual without giving a reason, thus upholding the appeals court ruling.
Dozens of similar cases have been brought across the country against the NSA, and most have been rejected as the plaintiffs could not prove their communications were tapped.
The wire-tapping program is now at the heart of a political tug-of-war between Congress and President George W. Bush.
Bush last week accused Democrats in the House of Representatives of putting Americans at risk by blocking Senate-passed legislation and allowing authorization for the post-September 11, 2001 program to expire as they went on vacation.
Temporary authorization expired on Saturday, but the surveillance continues under three decades old Foreign Surveillance Act.
As part of the increasing brinkmanship between Bush’s Republicans and the Democratic-controlled Congress, the Senate passed a bill that makes the law permanent and grants immunity from prosecution to telecommunications companies which cooperate.
But House Democrats refused to rubber-stamp the measure.
Legal moves to overturn the legislation appear now to be grinding to a halt.
In November, an appeals court rejected a case brought by a Muslim charity in Oregon whose organizers by error had been sent documents in 2004 showing that they had been targeted by the wiretapping program.
The court ruled the documents were inadmissible as evidence.
Another series of suits are still to be heard by the courts brought by the clients of telecommunications companies against the operators suspected of cooperating with the government for years when the program was still legally contested.
© 2008 Agence France Presse
It is illegal to challenge the Criminal Behavior or the War Crimes of a Unitary President, Signed: The Nuremberg Judges (before THEY were sentenced to Life in Prison themselves).
This one goes with Rehnquist’s 1993 Herrera v. Collins, in which he decided that Demonstration of Innocence is Not a bar to Execution. That was 15 years ago. Nothing stands still.
None of this happened over night. Not the Court. Not Bush. Not the criminal behavior of the American Government. They just have some of your attention now.
US Supreme Court Selects George W. Bush As President
—
US Supreme Court Throws Out Wire-Tapping Case
no connection.
keep watching american idol and shopping like a good patriot
The money quotes:
“The Supreme Court sided with the administration.”
“The high court’s action means that Bush will be able to disregard whatever legislative eavesdropping restrictions Congress adopts as there will be no meaningful judicial review…”
Which means:
“…the term “dictator” is generally used to describe a leader who holds and/or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power, especially the power to make laws without effective restraint by a legislative assembly.”
Any questions?
“American justice!” What a joke. It should have its own TV show. Oh, wait, …
I love this part: “The wire-tapping program is now at the heart of a political tug-of-war between Congress and President George W. Bush.” Like who can pull the telcos (and themselves, of course) out of the mud fastest.
“…the term “dictator” is generally used to describe a leader who holds and/or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power, especially the power to make laws without effective restraint by a legislative assembly.”
google: “NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE NO. 51″
Remember: the Supreme Court justices were wiretapped along with the rest of us … makes you wonder what’s in their juicy little files …
“In November, an appeals court rejected a case brought by a Muslim charity in Oregon whose organizers by error had been sent documents in 2004 showing that they had been targeted by the wiretapping program.
The court ruled the documents were inadmissible as evidence.”
Why is this inadmissible? The government screwing up is not a reason for this evidence to be inadmissible.
Don’t worry, the Democrats will protect us.
Give then hell, LuckyLefty. They deserve every bit of it and more.
Hang on, folks! We’re goin’ down!
Scalia should be impeached.
Or be forced to go duck hunting with his friend Cheney.
Duck hunting–or chicken hunting. He’d find plenty if he looked among his colleagues on the Court who voted not to hear the case–or among Dems in Congress who have waffled and wavered–or if he looks in the mirror.
“None of this happened over night. Not the Court. Not Bush. Not the criminal behavior of the American Government. They just have some of your attention now.” L L that is so RIGHT!
Catch-22
No one can sue without proving they have been illegally spied upon - but that information is a SECRET so no one can ‘prove’ they have been spied upon.
I think this is called Three Strikes.
All three branches of our government have been corrupted beyond repair. Pity those running for office - there’s no government anymore. Save your vote. Save your support. Save your cooperation.
There was a chicken who fell out of a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse–and raised eggs in a cardboard box in the back of an alley.
Instinct maybe-but still brave.
Humans have a long way to evolve before they can be so solid in behavior.
The Supreme Court judges are ALL TOO HUMAN.
Worst insult you can pay them.
The Dims OK’d those Judges. Political opportunism has a price and in this case, we’re all going to pay it.
It is already an established fact that bush will not be held accountable. He is like a child that is never disciplined. He can break things and scream at his parents with no danger of retribution. This is the true legacy of bush. “CAN’T TOUCH THIS!”
Neither congress nor the American people have a chance to bring him to justice. Any kind of case that is brought against this man will be ‘thrown out’.
The New World Order ha been underway for decades…there’s no secrecy here. We’ve just entered into one of the final phases. Once the financial crisis hits the top, we’ll open the borders, spend with the Amero and be watched and spied on all the way through. How do you say screwed 9 ways to Sunday?
Look at the justices on the supreme court: Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, Kennedy, Souter, Alito–and the now deceased Rhenquist. All were neo-con appointees. That’s 6.
The ONLY democrat appointees left on the court are Ruth Gader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer(by Clinton). That’s 2.
JP Stevens, the oldest justice was nominated by Gerald Ford, also a republican with conservative leanings. That’s 1.
SCORE: neo-cons 7, democracy 2 (e.g. we’re seriously fucked).
So…are you at all surprised at them throwing out this case? You can look forward to reading articles like this one for decades to come, compliments of Reagan and Bush 1 and 2. Abortion will also be illegal soon.
It’s like the entire political system in america is totally, totally FUCKED. What a tragedy it all is.
don’t vote; it just maintains the illusions.
That makes me so angry.
“..the appeals court in July overturned that ruling saying the plaintiffs had not proved that their foreign communications were being monitored.”
How does someone prove something like that? It seems to me that the plaintiffs are not suing for being monitored, but are suing for the POSSIBILITY that they are being monitored. THIS is what is restraining their freedom of speech, while at the same time deterring their foreign correspondants from saying too much.
I hope everyone here is considering Ron Paul. Clinton and Obama aren’t the ones to fix this kind of thing.
Alleviate your doubts at http://www.APAULOGIST.COM
The article was not correct…….. The issue is NOT one of obtaining a warrant before placing a tap…. They can do this and have 72 hours to get a warrant through FISA. It is an issue of “NO OVERSIGHT”. Even this is not enough acceptable… They feel that they must have the right to place wire taps on their own authority with NO OVERSIGHT whatsoever. It is beyond my comprehension that Congress, the courts, and the American people can fail to recognize that the ONLY reason for not being willing to submit to ANY oversight….. even by a secret court after the fact…. is that these wiretaps are being used in inappropriate ways…… such as for political purposes. If it won’t stand up in a special court sworn to secrecy it won’t stand up in the light of day.
Howard
The Lorax stated, “Neither congress nor the American people have a chance to bring him to justice. Any kind of case that is brought against this man will be ‘thrown out’.
Justice is served up in many forms.
Catch-22 implored, “Save your vote. Save your support. Save your cooperation.”
… and save your ammunition.
Say thanks to your Democrats for this one.
For years, they’ve been rubberstamping every Republican judicial nominee. It doesn’t matter how right-wing they are, if they always favor corporations over citizens, or if they have some bizarre, anti-American views that the Executive is immune to criminal punishment. If the Republicans nominate someone, the Democrats make sure they get on the court.
Remember, 41 Senators could get together and block any nominee. All they need to do is filibuster and make it clear that they won’t stop.
So, if you like this court, keep voting Democrat. If you don’t like this court, please stop voting Democrat.
————————-
No oversight is the key. And its what the writers of the Bill of Rights insisted on. That’s exactly why they say that to do any search, the police have to go to a judge in advance and show why they need to perform that search or to listen in on coversations.
What the Bushies want to do is to overturn some 300 years of progress in the rights of citizens that stem back to the British revolution in the late 1600’s. With the Democrats along for the right and high-fiving the Republicans and saying ‘You go Brother!’ every step along the way.
A couple of years ago, I was camping deep in the woods with some friends. The conversation turned to politics, and people started really saying what they thought.
I hesitated, and literally caught myself looking over my shoulder before I spoke to make sure I knew who was listening.
I didn’t even realize I had that habit until I was in a place where making such a check was ludicrous because no one could possibly be listening.
I’ve heard people from other totalitarian countries talk about doing that. I never realized I did it myself until then. Says an awful lot about what America is really like these days.
COMarc,
Great camping story. I know exactly how you feel. My most recent National Lawyers Guild mailing was opened, and it certainly looked like it was intentional. In any case, I’m starting to think like the lefties did in the sixties: it’s almost an embarrassment if they don’t have a file on you, yet.
Government doesn’t care what you say, just as long as you obey.
If your want privacy, you need to use strong encryption.
I have this reocurring dream where I am a vampire…..Its become a fantasy during my waking hours….then I would just be feeding it wouldnt be murder
The law is whatever lawyers want to tell you it is. If they want to claim that 2+2=5, some glib and clever mouthpiece can write a legal opinion saying so and a legal system, made up of judges who were once bag men and women for the corrupt and ideological politicians who appointed them to the bench, will affirm it.
luckylefty, those Judges were SENTENCED to life in prison. Do you happen to know how much time they served?
I SEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE A CRISIS APPROACHING THAT UNNERVES ME AND CAUSES ME TO TREMBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF MY COUNTRY.
CORPORATIONS HAVE BEEN ENTHRONED AND AN ERA OF CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES WILL FOLLOW, AND THE MONEY POWER OF THE COUNTRY WILL ENDEAVOR TO PROLONG IT’S REIGN BY WORKING UPON THE PREJUDICES OF THE PEOPLE UNTIL ALL WEALTH IS AGGREGATED IN THE FEW HANDS AND THE REPUBLIC IS DESTROYED.
Abraham Lincoln
I’m afraid that even a man of Lincoln’s stature would not be able to stand up against our government that is slowly (not all that slowly) taking away our constitutional rights.
The question is whether we will lose our “Right to Bear Arms” and therefore the means to overthrow the government.
Remember, when the government becomes oppresive, it is the citizens DUTY to overthow the government.
You don’t need stronger incryption, we need a Constitution that the Congress will enforce.
Our only option at this point is impeachment. Nothing else is going to have any effect on any of these monsters. Cheney is just the beginning. I want Mukasey to go down NOW because of his refusal to enforce Congressional subpoenas and contempt citations (as he stated at a Senate hearing last week) and his refusal to investigate wiretapping by this godawful administration. Chop his head off NOW.
So, as far as I can figure out we are screwed. Might as well go down screaming! So. here’s the plan…..
Congress will be back on February 25th. Your congress critters are probably making the rounds in your hometown all week. Call their local offices and find out where they are going to be. Then, face to face, let ‘em have both barrels about how they will never be re-elected if they don’t impeach NOW because there won’t be any Congress to go back too. They are making themselves a meaningless branch of government. This is their last chance to uphold their oath of office.
Then, when they go back to Congress, call them ALL every day (toll free at 800-828-0498). And don’t forget Pelosi, Conyers and Waxman! And give Kucinich, Dodd, Feingold, and Wexler some love and $$. Follow up with e-mails EVERY day!
I know this all takes time. But when the economy tanks, you are going to have more time than food on your table. So DO IT now. And get your friends doing it too. This is your last chance.
Stonetool February 19th, 2008 3:27 pm
these wiretaps are being used in inappropriate ways…… such as for political purposes. If it won’t stand up in a special court sworn to secrecy it won’t stand up in the light of day.
Oh if only. If only there was an “over the rainbow” somewhere where everything was done right and the majority of people acted like there was something more important than themselves and their immediate comfort. i’m clicking my shoes and nothing’s happening. Auntie Em, i want to come home.
Mr Foad: Before you lock and load, please make that phone call and send those e-mails. After that fails, than I will join you at the barricades.
randolfski: I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure there is a “Kansas” at all.
U.S. SUPINE COURT
Good news! Just called my House congress critter for the umptey dumph time. He signed Wexlers letter to Conyers asking for impeachment hearings. Yeah!!!!
ctrl-z: U.S. SUPINE COURT
Excellent!!
Rebel Farmer: I just got off the phone with my congressman’s office. He is not coming back to our state any time soon. I expressed my outrage at our sad state of affairs and the aide promised to pass the word along to the Congressman.
This is like pissing into the wind. My congressman votes with bush 95% of the time! The democrats can’t even find a person to run against him this fall, so this guy is under no pressure to vote any other way.
I will continue to contact my congressman and senators and send them emails. When I was younger, I thought that if I fought hard I could change the direction our country is going. I have campained, blogged, sent money, wrote letters to the editors, harassed my congressmen and been very politically active. Now that I am older I have come to realize that no change will come by working through the system. I am old enough to remember the time when I still had some constitutional rights. I am not a radical person, but I AM realistic. There is NO WAY that impeachment procedings will start. Bush & Cheney will retire on a very nice pension and our constitutional rights will never be restored.
Yes, I am very bitter about this. But I will keep calling my congressman & making the effort. We always have to keep trying…
For today it is evident that Bush and the NeoNazi Gang have stacked the Supreme Court…..U.S. citizens must vote each and every Republican Conservative out of Office. .This includes “Fascist Fellow Travelers” like Senator Leiberman.
Clean out these Fascist right down to the Boro and Township Councils….Not just in 2008, but 2009, 2010, 2011.2012, etc. .Study the candidates’ records. .Beware of Flag drapped individuals…tyrants dress up in patriotism, Hitler wore Military Uniforms and Bush runs around in Air Forse Flight Jackets, with metals and flags!!!
The ruling class understands the hard economic times ahead. They know they need all three branches of the government to protect their interests. The ruled class (the working class) does not understand this yet. They still want to reach across the isle and share power. Some lessons are harder to learn then others.
The judiciary, legislative, and executive branches are all on the same page. Don’t you just love it when everybody works together for a common purpose? Aren’t you super happy?
Mr Foad: Take heart. You’re efforts, past and present, will be rewared by how you feel about yourself. What you are doing is to make YOU feel better about using all the tools you have available to save your country. You are a true patriot to keep going even though you think your efforts are in vein. At least we won’t have to look back and say we were too busy shopping or watching the tube while our democracy went down in flames.
It’s easy to despair and quit trying. It’s hard to keep going and doing the best you can. An old book title: All you can do is the best you can do, and the best you can do is enough.
Hang in there! And KEEP calling. My congress critter finally flipped after two years of banging my head on his impeachment wall. Maybe yours will too!
Lizard: Thanks. I needed that!
The three stooges of the New World Order:
1 Executive Branch
2 Legislative Branch
3 Judicial Branch
This “activist” and regressive Supreme court has trashed our Constitution so much since they gave Dubya the presidency in December, 2000, that it’s pathetic to even hope a majority will uphold our rights. Roberts, Scalia, Alito, and Thomas should be impeached for treason because they are “domestic enemies” of our Constitution and unquestioning tools of the corporatocracy. The fascist shift continues.
Can we impeach the whole Suprpreme Court?
“On Tuesday the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, as usual without giving a reason, thus upholding the appeals court ruling.”
Can someone answer the following question for me?
Is it only Justice Roberts who determines which cases make it before the Supreme Court or is it decided by a majority of the Justices?
Thanks, Jude Rene Montarsi
Republikans are the Nazi party in America.
OK CO Marc, where are the 41?
I found out that it’s called the “Supreme Court”, because there is a statue of Moses at the top of the Court House facade. He’s holding the stone tablets with the ten commandments. ___ So, we are in fine shape, especially since GWB is a born again Christian. Don’t worry about minor things like this, I’m sure our judges all prayed about it.
The news is old. The Corporations own the Presidency. The Corporations own the Courts. The Corporations own the legislatures.
Are YOU brave enough to tell these pawns the truth to their faces?
That seems like a checkmate on the old 4th Amendment and, consequently, the 1st.
You guys mad yet?
The concept of totalitarianism was taught to me in a particular way in school. It was wildly easy to observe when a state had become totalitarian:
(1) the leader of a militant group violently overthrew the existing government (whether democratically elected or not)
(2) the leader declared himself the leader of a party and of the nation
(3) no true free elections were enabled (either by repressing or contricting opposition parties, or by not legitimately counting votes)
(4) civil freedoms were curtailed and Global Conventions regulating the conduct of War disregarded
(5) no freedom of the press (so no mainstream critical political analysis provided)
(6) the courts were stacked with party yes-men so the legislature, executive and judiciary were one
(7) manufacturing an internal attack as a pretext for foreign invasion (as for example Germany did with Poland)
(8) military invasions of other countries for their resources was rampant and justified by one spurious dogmatic but unsustainable claim or another
(9) enriching the power elite was rampant while the masses were promised everything but were in fact impoverished
(10) much of the intelligence gathering conducted by the government was directed against its own people
(11) laws are made by the President by decree
I am from Australia and steadfastly believed in the good of the West and in the evil of the Communist Bloc and of the Middle East.
Now I remain mindful of Winston Churchill who is credited with saying that “democracy is the worst form of government… except all the others”. Largely for that reason do I still believe that circumstances in the USA and in Australia are not as retrograde as they are in say Russia or Iran.
Nevertheless, proceeding through that list (I’m sure there are better ones, but this is what I’ve come up with between breakfast and getting on with my day), the situation there is a stack of evidence from what I’ve read on this “commondreams” site that the USA has become a candidate for joining that reviled club. Let’s go through the points one by one, so I ask whether Bush fulfils the criteria point by point:
(1) No. But…
(2) Yes. According to many, yes: many claim that Bush was not actually democratically elected, that there was fraud and conspiracy in bringing him to Presidency
(3) Yes. In the first and second election of Bush, it is claimed that there was fraud and conspiracy in bringing him to President and maintaining his Presidency in the second election.
(4) Yes. Guantamo, waterboarding humiliation and torture of prisoners, “renditions”. Domesticaly protest rights have been curtailed. The degree of force and the levels of intimidation and harrassment by police forces is said to be abused.
(5) Yes. Although there is not a great deal of direct coercive interference with editorial freedom, it appears that the owners of the media are so entwined with the interests of the government that no critical press is available, therefore, amazingly, there is little civic protest to the seizing of power by Bush and the things that have occurred during his reign.
(6) Yes. Wiretapping issue - a case in point.
(7) Yes. Contentious one, but many are claiming that there is substantial evidence that the twin towers attack was perpetuated by the US secret service under the directions of the Bush Administration as a pretext for the resource plunder of Iraq. It is claimed that (a) Attif is still alive and living in Pakistan (b) the planes that hit the twin towers is shown in video footage to have had a remote control drone under its belly and that a laser guidance system can be seen from one of the twin towers (c) that the necessary demolition by safety officers subsequent to the two main towers collapsing of tower 6 or 7 was it? was accomplished in a day when experts require about a month to set up a demolition of a building that size thus indicating that this was planned in advance. So to point 7 - there is much evidence of Yes.
(8) Yes. Need I say it, but Iraq. Next Iran?
(9) Yes. Bush and his friends are doing very well, thank you very much. Things not so good in Oklahoma (”how y’all doin down there?”)
(10) Yes. See point 6 again.
(11) Yes. Bush and his “signing statements”. Also consider how he commuted Scooter Libby’s sentence in complete defiance of the courts and the will of the public as indicated by opinion polls.
If these lists are correct, and everything is strongly indicating it is so, then it looks like the USA has become a totalitarian state. It happened while we were all sleeping.
This is the thing in my opinion: the problem is not so much that this has happened, the problem is that we were sleeping and when we woke up and thought we were dreaming, we just collectively went back to sleep.
The thing is this: the Bush Administration and his backers knew this is how we would behave.
So the question is this: what are you going to do about it?
The good thing domestically for USA is that this coup d’etat happened smoothly without the occasion of a violent civil war. The good thing is that this overthrow was done surreptitiously. It means that the way back out can also occur without blood being shed domestically. What it takes is for you people to get off your arses and encourage each other to vote. You need to get off your backsides and vote loudly. Demand independent voting reviews. You need to protest on the streets. You need to demand investigations and impeachment.
If you don’t do this individually and collectively, if you just keep going to work and getting on with your own personal lives (which is completely understandable - because just getting by is hard enough in life) then I’m afraid and sad to know that these people who hijacked your country and plundered your national wealth for their own personal benefits will forever get away with what they have done.
If I was an American citizen in America today, I would be more than happy to join that march. Here in Australia we finally, finally booted out that right-wing civil liberty vandal and his cronies ex-Prime Minister John Howard. We’ve got our own work to do here, but it looks for now like the new Prime Minister is stepping in the right direction, not completely, but getting there.
Additionally, the need to pursue impeachment and criminal charges is important even if you elect Obama or Clinton. Apparently they have shown no intention to condemn the use of signing statements. Nancy Peloni (or whatever her name is) has shown a complete lack of will to pursue impeachment or any effective resistance to the perversions of the Bush Presidency. If you just let it slip under the carpet it will remain a cancer that forever keeps your nation ill. You need to do a massive spring clean and have a good look at yourselves and whether you are going to be ruled by fear and misinformation or by true courage. Liberal-democracy can easily withstand the militant religious goings on from Al Queada without losing its essence. It’s time for you all to earn some international self-respect.
PS: Lucky left - are you serious about that Renquist decision???? That’s just f***ing insane and evil!!! (I’m assuming you are saying that despite it being accepted that an accused is innocent of a crime for which he or she has been condemned to a death penalty, say by DNA, that he or she may still be executed. That’s just sickness, what a waste of a legal brain!!!)
Unless one is really paying attention, and so few are, you would not really notice the slow creep of authoritarian rule. One ruling here, another there, a signing statement here, one there, who notices? These rulings don’t seem to be impacting the day to day lives of the population.
As chlorocardium notes above, the corporations rule the day, yet the myth of the public sector being in control is constantly being propagated. It’s the corporate managers, the elites, who are in control, not the voters, not the shareholders, not the buying public. Government is nothing but a puppet. We have fascism lite and most barely even notice.
I’m grateful to the few here at sites like this who post their concerns, outrage, insights and suggestions. I just wish there were many more who could see what is happening before it is too late.
How about that old-fashioned piece of paper from July 4, 1776. It was written specifically against the King of England, but is also against all tyrants, foreign and domestic.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of America. (capital letters…sic)
“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the seperation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principals and organizing its powers in such form, as to them seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is the right , it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security,-Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”
( It goes on to list the various grievances by the King against the American people. I’ll type in the first paragraph after the grievances; there’s actually three- then comes the 56 signatures on the Declaration.)
“In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petioned for Redress in the most humble terms; Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be a ruler of a free people.”
(I only type using one finger, so I hope this was worth the effort.)
peaceman, it’s worth it even if you typed it with your big toe, thanks for the effort.
Big toe? it might be easier with a different appendage.
Great blog ~Peaceman~!
You know if you brought out a copy of the Constitution and, under your rights, chose to defend yourself and pointed to this amendment or that amendment for free speech, privacy, the right of the legislative and Judicial branches to provide checks and balances, and the fact that its the OATH of any publicly elected official or soldier of the U.S to defend the PEOPLE AND THE CONSTITUTION of this country you would either be passed along, imprisoned, openly forbidden to use that defense or all of the above. You would be advised to find a lawyer that can reach a plea bargain and shove your rights up your own ass.
Learn skills that could become CRITICAL for your SURVIVAL and that of those you love, have a plan for the police state like you would an environmental disaster, stay ahead of the flood waters, secure higher ground that can provide you sustinence, get out of the cities on the coast before they are underwater. Be prepared, but also try to be happy in where you are, be unafraid to change your life, it is yours to live. Above all, remember that you are here to live freely, be free and upright in heart, be happy even in the face of your enemy.
It was worth it! Thanks everybody.
Hopeful Brewer; Excellent points. I remember some years ago, a Constitutional scholar read some of this and the Constitution to his students ( without telling them what documents he was reading from ) and some thought it was communist propaganda.
KEM, I’d still be typing.
.
The Superjustices are doing their Superduty to keep the Superpower afloat after the terrorists put a hole in its Superego and threaten the Superdomination of its Supereconomy over the people and the planet.
as i’ve stated before………..i’ve made my last contribution the these F*#ks……..no more tax payments
i will not support the terrorists running this country
come and get me you a-holes
as i’ve stated before………..i’ve made my last contribution the these F*#ks……..no more tax payments
i will not support the terrorists running this country
come and get me you a-holes
Arvy wrote: “American justice!” What a joke.
No, you’re spelling it wrong!
It’s “American Just Us.”
Supreme Failures
Of course Impeachment is off the table, right Nancy Pelosi?
And what do our American sheep, who are anointing a Hillary or an Obama to this?
Of course sheep can not be expected to think.
Long live the American Sheep.
Long live the elections circus.
Dems = Bush enablers
But of course the American Sheep can not be expected to understand this.
Peaceman I would like to suggest that every thread of every article here on CD should post our Declaration. If I get there first, I will. If one of you does, then do it. Every day. Every article. First Post.
TO REMIND US WE USED TO BE A FREE PEOPLE. IMPERFECT, FLAWED AND CORRUPT IN A HUNDRED LARGE AND SMALL WAYS BUT FREE. REMEMBER?
Peace.
P.S. Fixed a couple of typos and punctuation, value added.
I would concur with those above who hold that the government’s behavior is so outrageous,so nakedly illegal that it can tolerate no oversight “whatsimever”.the supremes refuse to review,and apply the law to the appeals court’s holding that the original plaintiffs did not prove that their communications had been monitered.kafka would be proud of the supremes-someday we’ll be together.yes we will,yes we will-right?
Listen American Sheep:
The Dems don’t deserve to be elected because they are complicit….
The long dead hand (and brain) of Ronald “Well!” Reagan still has its claws in us, in the senile fascists he dumped into the Court (and who dumped W on us)….
I canna hold her any longer, Captain, she’s breaking up!
History may well record that this is the age when facism triumphed in these United States, for that is what we are observing right now.
Luckylefty; That’s the way I copied it. (???)
We ARE still free unless we decide to live in an Orwellian World of Big Brother and Doublespeak. That is why in my usual rant, would add, “ignorance is not bliss, it is unforgivable,” . I modified it several weeks ago and now say “willfully ignorant”, as there is a difference.
The Founding Fathers who were very educated in many disciplines and knowledgable in human affairs wrote these prescient words for future generations to hopefully follow through on if the tyrants ever took over. The time is NOW, Ladies and Gentlemen, and not a moment to soon. It is time to spread the word for collective action in hitting them where it hurts; in the pocketbook and the workplace.
Peace and Harmony all over the World. It is surely needed.
Time to “THROW OUT THE US SUPREME COURT”.
4th Amendment is dead. The Dems will work on #2. They’ll both work on #1.
Pesky Constitution — it’s so anti-American, eh?
To mmmooo and others:
The U.S. Constitution mentions that the people can dissolve the government, but it doesn’t say how to do that, other than Congress calling a Constitutional Convention (not going to happen). However, the U.S. Constitution does specify one reason for suspending habeas corpus and that’s when the government is involved in putting down an insurrection (presumably by U.S. citizens).
So, the people’s Constitutionally mandated power to change the government by dissolving it is enmeshed in a contradiction.
Some here talk about the Second Amendment (right to bear arms), as if hunting rifles could face down the U.S. military, which is larger than the rest of the world’s militaries combined.
Typically, political control in the United States revolves around controlling public opinion, but both Bush and Congress have probably the lowest measured public opinion ratings since polling started in this country. And these low opinions are still present, despite the happy messages from our corporate media conglomerates (one being owned by ex-patriot Aussie Rupert Murdock) that tell us lies and feeds us stories about lost puppy dogs and car chases and bad weather.
Our Congressional representatives clearly don’t represent us. Our Supreme Court appoints the President and ignores established laws (as noted above). The President himself (if you can call him that, since vote fraud has been rampant here) has crowned himself. Theoretical checks from the judicial and legislative branches have been absent. The two parties - Dem and Repug - have unified into two branches representing more or less the same corporate interests, and largely ignoring the laws and the public interest.
Another problem here in the United States is a lack of community. People rarely congregate. My antiwar group protests regularly, but it’s the same 12 people max each week. The media has long erased any civic sense, or sense of causality. Facts go unmentioned, such as even the idea that the United States is currently at war in two countries. If you go north to Canada, you will notice the cultural difference right away. However, even though the Canadian media is more consolidated than here in the United States, it’s still able to mention factual details, whereas that’s not the case in the United States, generally speaking.
Journalists get fired quickly in the United States for stating the facts in mainstream news organizations, or their stories don’t run or are censored by editors. So much for free speech.
So, the problem isn’t exactly that people need to get off their butts. What should the people do when they are off their butts? Start throwing bricks? Please, anyone chime in if you have the answer.
One of our Congresswomen, war hawk Jane Harmon, has legislated funds to study this issue. She’s wondering how long it will take for the people to rebel. I look forward to reading the report, paid for by my tax dollars. I have a feeling nobody really knows when an insurrection will happen. Perhaps the bottoming out economy will be the trigger.
ad nauseum
The triggers are readily predictable, but we don’t want it to get to that point. No good ideas will emerge then. There will be nobody with a shred of wisdom invited to the table to draft America 2.0.
Only powermongers, warmongers, and the new-boss-same-as-old-boss will be there.
This is really the height of ridiculousness. These nine should all be imprisoned, forever. Hey wait… didn’t they rule the death penalty was constitutional? Hang the f**kers instead!
Thoughts_Into_Action;
So far everything we’ve tried has not produced a positive outcome in overturning the dictatorial and undemocratic rule of this administration and morally deficient Congress. How about trying something different for a change. Something requiring individual participation and perhaps much sacrifice but it is something which has worked around the globe at one time or another, including the United States.
How about boycotts, worker walkouts, and for those fellow citizens in the military unwilling to commit war crimes and other illegal and immoral acts for the D.C. tyrants, just say no and go back to your loved ones, and if you have none, link up with anti-death and destruction groups and you’ll find people who care.Remember, this ‘one-party’ system has violated the oath of office when they were elected/selected and have protected each other since day one but want to prosecute military personnel who stand up for their own rights and for humany decency as well. It’s a volunteer force, so volunteer on your own to call it quits.
Take part in planning the next action for restoring democracy and the checks and balances imperative for making the system work. When working men and women stick together, supporting each other, the small minority of the ruling elite will withdraw or be defeated in the struggle. It takes a “concerted effort.”
None of this is easy, and the task is herculean. We ‘ve got to start somewhere.
People rebel when their lives are on the line and they see those in power as the cause and impediment to their recovery. But I would think that uniting together to support the re-establishment of the law under our Constitution would be more practical. We’ve got the lawyers, most of them not members of that decidedly fascist Federalist Society. We’ve got a base of hard-working, decent people. One of the main reasons that the Republican Party membership is beginning to splinter is the fact that many supporters are decent people who have finally begun to figure out that there is something rotten in the Republican Party. And while the Democratic Party has not been taken over by the corporatists (fascists) it has been well infiltrated. We need to stand with the Congressional Progressive Caucus which, sadly, just lost a member, Tom Lantos, who, as a youth was a Hungarian freedom fighter against the Nazis. It is critical to strengthen both the House and Senate with progressives whether Democrats or otherwise. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Build on what we’ve got so that no matter who is president, progressives can protect us from further harmful appointments and stand up to any president. Work on securing the voting. Help the organizations such as Velvet Revolution and BlackBoxVoting.org for two. REGISTER! VOTE! DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYBODY WHO TELLS YOU NOT TO VOTE. It is much more difficult to shift the vote when large numbers of voters turn out. That’s what happened in 2006. Bush was beside himself as Rove had promised him the vote. Election fraud still resulted in at least 10 losers being seated. Support paper ballots and secure systems for those ballots wherever you can. It had to get this bad, this close before enough citizens would begin to take action.
So what do you expect from a majority of Republican installed, right-wing judges? It’s the fox guarding the hen house and is no surprise that there is no accountability in a fascist government.
I doubt that abortion will be outlawed. The neocons need fundamental Christians to vote against their own interests at every turn. If abortion is outlawed the fundamental Christians will want to move on to compulsory prayer in school and official designation of US as a Christian state etc. etc. The extreme court will be busy helping corporations buy more politicians and judges.
In the long run Court and executive excess will lead to a backlash and power struggle. The violent suppression of the peoples progressive tendencies will lead to a fascist dictatorship or if they lose a more left wing America.
These are not good choices. It would be better for the right wing nuts to accommodate just enough progressive ideals with minimal actual progress to stay viable, but the cash in the system and the greed level will not make this work.
Smart, the cure for stupid ..
Diary of a Mad Voter: Joan McCarter
It Takes a Westerner
By Joan McCarter, 2-19-08
“ ..
What we most unfortunately do not have in 2008, is Frank Church. The Idaho Democrat was a quintessential Westerner. Despite his long years of public service, the Senator maintained a healthy skepticism and even distrust of government, particularly an executive branch with a tendency to push the bounds of Constitutional checks and balances. That inherent distrust, as well as a profound sense of his responsibility as a representative of the people’s interest, led to his groundbreaking investigations of the intelligence community’s illegal activies abroad, and at home. It also led to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a law that protected our most basic fourth amendment protections.
In April 1976, after months of hearings and investigations, the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities (the Church Committee) released its final report (out of fourteen). The reported detailed the illegal activities of U.S. intelligence agencies and the need for Congress to reassert the Constitutional system of checks and balances to order to rein in the excesses of the executive.
Here is an extensive quote from the Senator’s final report which will hopefully provide some perspective on exactly how critical the fight we are currently waging is:
“Personal privacy is protected because it is essential to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our Constitution checks the power of Government for purposes of protecting the rights of individuals, in order that all our citizens may live in a free and decent society. Unlike totalitarian states, we do not believe that any government has a monopoly on truth.
When government infringes those right instead of nurturing and protecting them, the injury spreads far beyond the particular citizens targeted to untold numbers of other Americans who may be intimidated.
Free government depends upon the ability of all its citizens to speak their minds without fear of official sanction. The ability of ordinary people to be heard by their leaders means that they must be free to join in groups in order more effectively to express their grievances. Constitutional safeguards are needed to protect the timid as well as the courageous, the weak as well as the strong. While many Americans have been willing to assert their beliefs in the face of possible governmental reprisals, no citizen should have to weigh his or her desire to express an opinion, or join a group, against the risk of having lawful speech or association used against him….
The natural tendency of government is toward abuse of power. Men entrusted with power, even those aware of its dangers, tend, particularly when pressured, to slight liberty.
Our constitutional system guards against this tendency. It establishes many different checks upon power. It is those wise restraints which keep men free. In the field of intelligence those restraints have too often been ignored….
The United States must not adopt the tactics of the enemy. Means are important, as ends. Crisis makes it tempting to ignore the wise restraints that make men free. But each time we do so, each time the means we use are wrong, our inner strength, the strength which makes us free, is lessened.”
.. “
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/it_takes_a_westerner/C37/L37/
The only way I see to prove that calls have been tapped is a subpoena of the NSA from Congress, which I assume the NSA can hide behind ‘national security’. Could a President order the release of information? For that matter, could the Supreme Court?
US Supreme court = kangaroo court = nazi = undemocratic = run by older white men = not democratic …. why vote for another Republican until the mess is balanced = more women on the bench = clarence thomas is just another ‘white man’ on the bench….
The most partial of all US Supreme courts…how do we have the audacity to tell other countries what to do when it come to justice?
We look more like Rome every day!!!
This would SEEM to be a very simple problem to resolve… were it not for the ruthless nature of the leading members of the administration and the cowardly nature of the courts, Congress and the news media.
Consider this…
If the administration has unfettered power to eavesdrop on everyone, that INCLUDES judges, members of Congress and their aides, and even the news media.
Thus the administration can dig up all the nasty little secrets that appear lurk in the shadows of most judges, members of Congress and their aides, and the news media!
Threatening to expose secrets of a sexual or homosexual nature, secrets of bribes and illicit business dealings, or even secrets about incompetence or irresponsible behavior could be a very effective way of preventing anyone from questioning or working to limit the power of the Executive branch!
There have been MANY times in the past few years that I have wondered HOW the administration has persuaded the Congress, the courts and certain members of the news media to do their bidding… but it is becoming more and more clear as more information leaks out to the public forum.
We have a nest of vipers in the leadership of the White House, Justice Department and the Pentagon and we may never clean them out entirely. Even if and when they consent to leave office, they can carry many of these secrets with them and exert power from the outside for years to come.
The public needs to exert immense pressure on the media and Congress for the truth and action against these vipers, while at the same time systematically removing all incumbents from office and replacing them with fresh uncompromised blood.
What more could one expect from the handpicked political arm of the Republican Party known as the Supreme Court?????? After all they were handpicked by Republican’s to uphold fascist Republican values of the party. They performed their purpose when they put George Bush who didn’t win the election in office. Just one more of the growing list of reasons I will not under any circumstances vote Republican! Any freedom loving American will follow suit! An evil force has taken over the Republican party. A lot of us saw it coming in the early 80’s with the Christian fascist’s being welcomed into the party by Reagan. The mean-spirited, obnoxious, and vileness that took over the whole party. When the party became a conglomeration of religious hacks. We fled in disgust then. So until they clean up their party I will not vote for them again.
As someone here remarked, this hasn’t happened overnight. Operation MOCKINGBIRD - the total control of the nation’s media leading up to near total control of the public mind (”dumber and dumber”) necessary for things like this to happen - was begun in the fifties. I’ve been aware and writing about it for literally decades (www.judoknighterrant.com). Frankly, I think it’s too late for the public to do anything except resort to violent revolt. They won’t do that - too indoctrinated, cowed, effeminized, and dependent. To stupid. Oh, as I said (quoting Winston Churchill) in a speech for the American Lyceum in 1987, you’ll fight. But you’ll fight when all there is left is the fact that you’d rather be dead than live as you are - Sir Winston’s “There is even a worse case.”
jmontarsi: “Is it only Justice Roberts who determines which cases make it before the Supreme Court or is it decided by a majority of the Justices?”
Four justices must agree to grant certiorari and hear a case.
Demerera: “clarence thomas is just another ‘white man’ on the bench….”
I would suggest that determining Clarence Thomas’s skin color is his business, not yours.
The ‘no news here’ component of this article is that it was published in the foreign press.
I think what will finally turn this around is when the dictator turns the corporate military loose on those who are paying for it….USA taxpayers.
Yes and don’t forget what you are told as the remedy here.
“Hey American Sheeple, don’t vote!”
That always brings em to their knees.
Oh yes the Dems are responsible for all those Republican Supreme judges that are screwing us.
Vote Green that will bring em to their knees even faster.
I can see the ruling class trembling from the idea!
Go for it!
It is unfortunate that the lesson wasn’t learned in New Orleans.
Provoice is on to something. I have been trying to figute out for years why this maladministration has such power over everybody in government. The more we learn about the whole wiretapping mess, it is clear that this admin has the info to intimidate EVERYBODY.
As Provoice suggested, the only long term solution is to wipe the slate clean of EVERYBODY that has served in government during this period of time. The only exceptions may be people like Kucinich and a few others that have stood up to this admin and/or faught for the rule of law and our Constitution ALL of the time.
As to the American people fighting back in a cohesive manner, that is not going to happen until the majority feel hunger pangs in their bellies. Historically, the people rise up when they are literally hungery. And that day is coming very soon.
In the meantime, VOTE! It really doesn’t matter much who you vote for/against. What is important is that we all engage and overwhelm the system. The outcome is important, but it is more important the “the powers that be” know that we are active and paying attention. ALL the sheeple must wake up now!
Ron Paul is the only one left that can save us.
Rebel Farmer,
I also think Provoice is on to something. I think it was John Perkins, but don’t quote me on this, who said the powers that be, spy on people in office or in high positions in business. If they didn’t play ball…well, maybe a few photos might ‘persuade’ the vulnerable one to change their opinion on important issues or Congressional bills. In the “good ol’ days,” it was called ‘blackmail.’ Remember J. Edgar Hoover’s snooping activities?
We have got to get rid of all electronic voting machines and return to paper ballots with “hand-counting,” not optical-scanning.
More importantly than all the above, our fellow citizens must get involved, otherwise…
The only ones left to save us is ourselves.
Rebel Farmer: Or take it one step further and say to the politicians “We don’t care what dirt Bush has on you… We don’t care if you took a bribe or have a mistress or like to have sex with farm animals. Whatever they have on you, we’ll forgive you for. Now do your jobs and hold this bastard accountable”.
As several have pointed out the Supremely Corrupt were placed into their sinister black robes with the help of the Democrats. Sorry, never can help taking a shot at the Dims no matter what the story. It’s like these articles are the wood, we hold the hammers and the Dims are the nails. Too bad in real life we are the nails, they hold the hammers and we get pounded.
citizen1 February 19th, 2008 9:49 pm
Dems = Bush enablers
COMarc February 19th, 2008 3:43 pm
Say thanks to your Democrats for this one.
peaceman February 19th, 2008 2:01 pm
Don’t worry, the Democrats will protect us.
Thanks folks, my sentiments exactly.
Kewl photo!
Reminds me of how, in the real ‘Old West’, they used to sometimes lay-out and pose-then-photograph their ‘criminal-gangs’ in very natural-Poses, in their street-garb and even holding-their-guns(!) — right-after they had hung-them for their Crimes…
[But those dead-folks (James-gang, etc.) were never-posed with such BIG ’smiles’ on them, and they were ALL a ‘whole lot younger’! At-least, I never saw any such tin-types like that…? Have you?]
Chairman Mao also has a nice-big Smile on his face — on all of the Most-Favored ‘Yuan-bills’ I have ever seen — and he once killed over 70-million, in his-day…! [A nice/big-smile, just-like this Court!]
I like when people ‘Smile-large’ — I always do…!
Thank you Jim Glover for reminding us that
We all do so love to externalize our own responsibilities, as it provides a certain short term numbing and misdirection, while actually delivering nothing but more fear and pain.
Seize the Day, the really big dream, the reins of our future, and our great country’s destiny.
Make it so, one step at a time.
Namaste … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Mahatma Gandhi … … … … … … … … … …
« We must be the change we wish to see in the world »
« There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed »
« We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself » — ML King
Great, so tomorrow I change myself and POOF! The whole world is transformed into a graet big bowl of lovely, red cheeries. Hey, I’m going to get on it right away. Great idea!
TAILCAP — Yes, it is possible. Go for it with exuberance.
I would caution you to be careful for what you ask for, as a “graet big bowl” is different from a great big bowl.
What color of red, how many ? Please do let us know how it goes, as I’m just an egg in this endeavor of creation.
Okay, I know what you mean. It is true, we do have to start with ourselves. I graetly, I mean greatly admire MLK and he is one of my heroes. Thanks for the inspiration and the reminder of what needs to be done.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/tort-f21.shtml
In a radio interview broadcast last week in Great Britain, United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia claimed that nothing in the Constitution protects foreigners outside US territory or prohibits federal agents from using torture while questioning their captives.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/tort-f21.shtml
Scalia disagreed. Referring to “so-called torture,” he said, “Smacking someone in the face to find out where he has hidden the bomb that is about to blow up Los Angeles” is not prohibited by the Constitution. In arguing that the Constitution allowed for torture, Scalia was making clear that he considered the practice acceptable for all prisoners, whether or not they are US citizens.
Passive authoritarian suck-ups often were victims of physical abuse, and later become their own worse enemy, by propagating the pain to future generations.
In Tony “I’m really very tender” Scalia, he’s likely remembering how tenderized his butt was (is?) from decades of continued unrelenting physical abuse (i.e. torture) from his role model parental figures (and perhaps now is dominatrix?).
Of course, the people that did this to him had to be good, so that means that torture is good, and that now that he is in a position (bent over) to have everyone share in his brutality, he’s taking tyhe needed steps so that we ALL can get bent over together all the time, and be ONE in the pain of it ALL.
¿ Is it his-story or sarcasm ?
his so-called “happy” childhood makes Tony the tenderizer so peaceful and understanding