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The United States Supreme Court ruled that prisoners at Guantanamo have constitutional rights to challenge their imprisonment in civilian courts. This is a huge deal. The fact that the Bush administration has been denying fundamental constitutional rights to prisoners is huge. (There is an amazing book on this subject). So what have political figures said about this decision?
Well. Obama applauded the decision, saying that we must protect core fundamental values [that everyone has the rights to a fair trial and to see the evidence and charges against them]. And what did McCain say?
Quote:
“It obviously concerns me. These are unlawful combatants, they are not American citizens, but — and I think that we should pay attention to justice Roberts’ opinion in this decision — but it is a decision the Supreme Court has made. Now we need to move forward. As you know, I always favored closing of Guantanamo Bay and I still think that we ought to do that.”
McCain also said:
“The Supreme Court yesterday rendered a decision which I think is one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”
How does John McCain favor closing down Guantanamo (whose main purpose is to torture and harshly interrogate prisoners outside the law) while at the same time supporting the right to deny prisoners habeas corpus and the rights to see the evidence against them? It doesn’t matter whether the prisoners in Guantanamo are terrorists (most of them aren’t, are are being held without any evidence, being forced to sign confessions after torture), the founders of this country specifically set up a process that gives EVERYBODY being charged and held in prison the rights to see the evidence against them and the right to a fair trial. This was set up to protect EVERYBODY. (again) That the Bush administration is taking away basic civil liberties like this is terrifying, whats more terrifying is that the Republican candidate will carry on the same policies!
John McCain was held as a POW for five years, being treated much like the prisoners at Guantanamo. Why would he support legally allowing torture and arbitrary arrest and confinement? Has he forgotten? McCain is no national hero if he thinks that it is fine to ignore the Constitution and the fundamental principals of his country and take away prisoners rights. Torture is NOT an American value, and I think it’s absolutely disgusting that we’re actually having a public debate about whether or not prisoners have rights to even know why they’re being imprisoned!
According to Republicans (and John McCain), the US invaded Iraq in order to liberate the Iraqi people. We invaded another country to give them freedom. So someone please explain to me why the Bush administration is planning to build permanent US military bases in Iraq. These bases will not be bound by Iraqi law, and will cement the US occupation. Obviously this idea is not being well received by Iraqis, already tens of thousands of people have gathered in cities all over Iraq to protest, but since when does the government listen to the people these days?
Maybe it’s time other nations started putting sanctions on the United States.
Until the US. invasion in 2003, Iraq had never had a suicide terrorist attack in its entire history.
[Editors Note: there was not any al Qaeda in Iraq before the invasion]
Between 1982 and 1986, there were 41 suicide terrorist attacks in Lebanon. Once the US, France and Israel withdrew their forces from Lebanon there were no more attacks. The reason the attacks stop, according to Pape, is that the Osama bin Ladens of the world can no longer inspire poential sucide terrorists, regardless of their religious beliefs… Predictably enough, al Qaeda recruitment has exploded since the invasion of Iraq…
I’ve remarked before how the Republican nominee John McCain has made several serious mistakes and error-of-facts when talking about foreign policy (which is something he claims he is an expert at). Usually, he is corrected by a journalist or an aid when he makes factual mistakes in his speeches, but his latest mistake is something he isn’t even acknowledging is wrong! Just over about 48 hours ago he gave a speech in Wisconsin, and remarked how the number of US troops in Iraq is down to pre-surge levels, in an attempt to reassure voters that violence in Iraq has been quelled by the surge. However, he is very very wrong. There are currently about 155,000 troops in Iraq, and pre-surge troop levels would be at 130,000. You would think that once corrected and confronted with his mistake, he would apologize and correct himself. But no! McCain just restated and reworded himself, all the while insisting that he was correct! Wtf! This man… How can anyone think that he’s fit to get anything done, or fit to lead anyone anywhere?
Check my facts here here here and here.
Also… I’ve come to the personal conclusion that if Obama does get elected and then assassinated, as I’ve heard some people foresee, it won’t be by racists. It will be by multi-billionaire businessmen who are pissed because Obama cares more about people than the market.
It seems like not a day goes by without presidential candidate John McCain making some blunder about something. He doesn’t get economics, as he’s admitted several times, but he just hates Iran! So far he’s tried to link Al Qaeda to Iran a few times, but just recently he berated a journalist who tried to point out that Ahmadinejad isn’t the right person to talk to when discussing Iran’s foreign policy! Besides the fact that he’s one of the most cocky men in politics, he is just wrong when it comes to his facts! Watch the video below from the press conference.
One of the biggest things that turned me off was at the end when McCain said that “I think if you ask any average American who the leader of Iran is, I think they’d know.” Obviously not! The “average” American doesn’t know shit about Iran, and neither do you! The average American doesn’t seem to care about Iran either. But it only makes things ten times worse when people like you try to link Iran with Al Qaeda (and every American knows what Al Qaeda is)! You would think that after 8 years of bloodthirsty Bush that Americans would not want another war mongering idiot as president, but I guess some people never learn…
