Habeas Corpus

Glen Greenwald is right on as always making his point about President Obama's position on habeas corpus. Having during the campaign attacked the concept of grabbing people off the street and throwing them in a dungeon, the administration has now filed claims that they do in fact have every right to do exactly that. They are asserting that the executive of this nation can, without review, imprision people indeffinately. How American is that? Its getting to the point of being like apple pie it seems.

From my own perspective, I see the point. Its inherently practicle and convienent for the executive to lock people up it deems dangerous. As the head of the intellegence aparatus, its even possible that they know something that they're not telling me. The problem is that its illegal; its against the rules. Its as convienent for President Obama today as it was for Louis XVI in France in the 1780s. Americans have the good sense not to put our Bastile in the center of Washington though. As Walter was so fond of saying, this is not 'Nam, there are rules. Those rules may be a pain, and they may make life more difficult, but they also ensure that this is a free country. If you're gathering information in such a way that you can never tell anyone about it, how am I supposed to check up on you? How am I supposed to know that you're not lying?

Innocence is the presumption in this country. Its the base line. If you want to accuse me of something, the burden is on you. That's the whole point of a free society. It doesn't work if that's only the standard sometimes. It has to be every time. You can't be kind of free. Its not a right if it only applies to you some of the time; that makes it a gift from on high. It can be taken away just as easily as it is granted when circumstances require the revocation of that "right."

I don't trust people saying "trust me." Neither should you. I especially don't trust zealots who defend the actions when its by their guy, and attack it when its the other guy. They're not arguing over the principle of freedom, they only sound like they are. Likewise are the new defenders Greenwald goes out of his way to mention. They're dangerous partisans, willing to trade principles for victory.

So far, the Obama administration has been everything I expected it to be.

- S

P.S. Out my window right now is the street in front of my house and driveway. There is almost, and I mean almost enough space to park a car without blocking my driveway. I've seen literally 20 cars try it now. The more inconsiderate require me to go out and explain to them that they're going to get towed. I mean, seriously, the driveway is right there... people only think of themselves.

P.P.S. I gave up and let a guy park there so I could just let it be. I can probably get the car out with this guy there anyway... but they weren't going to ask... wow.