White House Proposal Would Expand Authority of Military Courts
 

OMFG! http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...080101334.html


Here's a taste:

"A draft Bush administration plan for special military courts seeks to expand the reach and authority of such "commissions" to include trials, for the first time, of people who are not members of al-Qaeda or the Taliban and are not directly involved in acts of international terrorism, according to officials familiar with the proposal. "

"Under the proposed procedures, defendants would lack rights to confront accusers, exclude hearsay accusations, or bar evidence obtained through rough or coercive interrogations. They would not be guaranteed a public or speedy trial and would lack the right to choose their military counsel, who in turn would not be guaranteed equal access to evidence held by prosecutors."

" John D. Hutson, the Navy's top uniformed lawyer from 1997 to 2000, said the rules would evidently allow the government to tell a prisoner: "We know you're guilty. We can't tell you why, but there's a guy, we can't tell you who, who told us something. We can't tell you what, but you're guilty."


So - let me see if I got this right. You don't have to be in the military or a terrorist to be tried by a military court where they don't have to present you with a lawyer, a speedy trial, any evidence they hold, or even have any valid evidence at all.

Even better it goes on to say "To secure a death penalty under the draft legislation, at least five jurors must agree, two fewer than under the administration's earlier plan. Courts-martial and federal civilian trials require that 12 jurors agree."

So - the administration that respects life in the womb so much that it won't support stem stell research - but will kill a guy when a majority of people don't think he's guilty, even after he hasn't necessarily rec'd a fair trial in the way most of us would think of one.

Discuss.

Oh, my. Just when you think your government can't get any scarier-- or stupider-- they take you by surprise again.

I'm sure it's for our own good.

Again, nothing this man tries would surprise me. Maybe the Pope was right.

You're getting it. Everything's gonna be fine. Half the population can't be wrong. It's not possible.

And we DON'T torture. I can't tell you how relieved I was to find that out.

Scotch? I know I've got some here somewhere.

You know, the President does not approve of drinking.

Just to be on record, I do not support this.

Suuuuure.

I just ordered this shirt.

Scaeagels-

I didn't think you did. You're not insane.

I love you all .... but I'm looking for a new country.

Really, we're just going up to Victoria for a...visit. A nice, loooong visit.

Move here. I'll sponsor you.

LOL You'll think you're in another country.

Bush country, baby.

I've been asked to move to Australia - but as cool as Lashbear is, they only really have 1 good rollercoaster in the entire country.

I think you may have misunderstood. It's not 5 of 12 but 5 of 5. Everyone on the jury will still have to agree that the death penalty is appropriate and the article doesn't say but I bet appeals will still be available.

It would be very interesting to hear the justifications for this.

Deutschland Deutschland uber alles...

You.....bet? That's not a bet I would make these days.

Doesn't the fact that you are unsure bother you?

€uro's spiffy remark hits me with humor and horror all at once. The Nazis were able to do what they did because the populace allowed it.

We're nowhere near that yet, but I think it's beyond time to keep track and be ready to lay down our lives if necessary to prevent or protest or simply refuse to live in the fascist state those in power would create.

Every day I become a bit more grateful for my Canadian citizenship as well as a place of residence in Canada. 4 bedrooms, 2 story house. In 3 weeks I can probably sneak everyone in. We're all good friends right?

California, Uber Alles!

Hey - we're already making greenhouse emission agreements with England - let's make our own country.

Not really. I am sure that if appeals were not going to be available that this article surely would have touched on that too. However; what I was really pointing out was that it would take 5 jurors out of 5 jurors, not 5 of 12 as was suggested, to sentence someone to death.

Didn't Berkley just vote to impeach Bush, or are considering it?

And we are one of the biggest economies in the world.

Not kidding in any way .... i would join the Californian army tomorrow if we would announce our succession from the Union.



(even if it were not for the approaching American Fascist State, I am already so tired of progressive California being held back by the U.S. that I would have joined the succession army anyway.)

Seceding from the Union doesn't have the best track record...

If Latvia can do it why can't we?

Go for it.

Where's Governor Jerry Brown?

Really, Brown would lead us to victory.

And feh, succession hasn't been tried in like forever.

Sure, the U.S. has an invincible military, but for 1) we in California possess a HUGE chunk of that military - - which we will take over on Day One of La Revolusion and 2) even today, it's been PROVEN that the U.S. cannot conquer a guerilla insurgency.

Um, what are we waiting for!!!!?!?!?!?

http://www.jeffersonstate.com/

What would you do with these guys?

ISM - why don't you move to Texas? I believe they are allowed to secede at any time, as was part of the agreement when they joined the union.

That way you can do it without any nasty bloodshed.

"Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drum?"

Viva La Resistance! Now let's all go to Starbucks after a trip to Disneyland's fry cart.
:D


I'm not leaving. I'll stay and fight. That's the Boston way. This is my country, too. Tea in the harbor, baby! Where's my Native American war paint?

Hahaha, we get Disneyland when we take California out of the fascist equation!

Secede on unfriendly terms and Los Angeles ceases to exist in anything like its current form.

58% of your water comes from the Colorado River and Arizona and Mexico would love it if you stopped taking it.

They also are allowed to split into 5 seperate States if they so desire too..........can you say 8 more Senators and an end to the fillibuster instantly?:)

I only have one quibble with this- you have Disneyland- otherwise- go ahead.:p

Suddenly I have visions of the US Army rolling in and toppling the partners statue.

I believe part of Disneyland belongs to the State of Missouri.....;)

All the pumping stations will be on our side of the river :evil:

Dam!

Why do I suddenly have this mental image of thousands of APers standing in the Hub, waving banners and singing Freebird as the tanks roll up Main Street.....

That's in Nevada.

And if secession is on unfriendly terms, how long do you think that will last?

It also probably isn't good that up to 30% of California's electricity comes from out of state. And another 30% is produced in the parts of Northern California that probably wouldn't be interested in sessesion.

Damnit, I'm sick of this reliance on foreign sources of energy. We need to start digging wells and drilling for oil in Disneyland.

Energy Independence for California!

Party pooper!

There is lots of real estate for solar panels on top of all the dark ride buildings.

No no no. We can't do that. Because if we take over Disneyland, I want to theme that area to look like the roofs of the buildings. I'm theming that because I'm also going to put back the Skyway.
:D

The solar panels have to go somewhere where no one goes or no one sees. Like Innoventions...
:D

There's easily space at San Onofre for another Nuc now that Unit One is shut down. And we can dust off plans for that Huntington Beach combined Nuc and and de-sal plant.

I think solar panals on all the roofs of TL would actually look nice.

Adventureland....not so much;)

I think we should bulldoze Fresno and turn it into a giant solar farm. It's not being used for much anyway.

Don't have to sneak me in dear... I just have to apply at the consulate to claim my dual citizenship.

This is really, REALLY scary. It's like... Castro scary.

I'm glad I married a Canadian!

And, my husband needs to persue his duel citizenship tout suite. Or, maybe that should be sofort.

As far as the water thing goes...

We just have to withhold broadcasting "American Idol" until the pumps are turned back on. The rest of the country will freak and we'll have our water back before you can say Ryan Seacrest.

A musical morsel supreme!
Toot Sweets!
Toot Sweets!
The candies you whistle, the whistles you eat.
Toot Sweets!
Toot Sweets!
The eatable, tweetable treats!

I'm soooo gay.
:D

Hee!

I'll help divert the Columbia River to California myself if you guys would just stop American Idol;)

Yes, stop American Idol.

So, what's my excuse?

On a semi-serious note, if you never have you should read Cadillac Dessert a history of water policy in the American West. It goes into some detail on the actual proposals for diverting the water from the Columbia and Klamath rivers for use by Los Angeles and the Central Valley.

That book is my version of Silent Spring (or, more recently, Fast Food Nation). I get so angry every time I read part of it.

Although I have not read that book I have listened to years of local talk radio regarding that very subject......it does make my blood boil.

Pardon me while I hose down the driveway...

And of course, the title is Cadillac Desert.

As always, the Onion comes through with another hilariously stinging headline:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/51140

I just thought of the desert scenery in 'Cars'.
:)

I love the Onion.