KING JAMES vs. KING GEORGE: "After Torture, What's Next?" (Dave? Em?)

After Torture, What's Next?

By James Abourezk; October 07, 2006, Published on ZNet


So, waterboarding is now OK. So is the suspension of one of our basic rights of freedom-the Writ of Habeas Corpus. Habeas Corpus, according to the U.S. Constitution, can only be suspended in cases of invasion or rebellion. Our Supreme Court has held, "habeas corpus is the fundamental instrument for safeguarding individual freedom against arbitrary and lawless state action."

Abe Lincoln suspended the Writ during the Civil War, and even then it was a questionable act. And even more hopeless is that part of the law that permits President George W. Bush to interpret Common Article Three of the

1949 Geneva Conventions. Although Mr. Bush claims that the article is vague, no one before him has had any trouble understanding that torture is wrong, and in violation of international law.

But the suspension of the Writ in 2006 is not only unconstitutional because there is neither a rebellion nor have we been invaded. It is flat out wrong.

The only rebellion we were faced with was the one begun by three Republican Senators-McCain, Graham and Warner. All three had served in the military, but McCain had actually spent time as a prisoner of war in North Viet Nam .

Many of us cheered when he stood up to the President to say that if we permitted torture, which is what Bush and Cheney were trying to legalize, our own soldiers, sailors and airmen would be subject to the same brutalization as Mr. Bush was hoping to inflict on his "terror suspects."

But the rebellion was quickly quelled when McCain, Graham and Warner caved in and said that the compromise they worked out with the President would both preserve our morals and get valuable information from enemy combatants.

First, people who are experts in interrogation of the enemy pretty much agree that torture doesn't work. Those being tortured will say anything they think their interrogators want to hear, just so the torture will stop.

Secondly, the information, even if true, which is rare, in virtually every case is outdated by the time the torture is finished. Certainly no enemy would continue with plans known to someone who was captured.

But even more importantly, as Former Secretary of State and famous Army general, Colin Powell, said, we lose our moral high ground if we torture prisoners. To me, that is a hundred times more powerful a statement than the repetitious rantings of George W. Bush who continually cites the mantra, "we are protecting Americans." That phrase, of course, is born of polling that says Americans want to be protected, and delivered by the likes of Karl Rove, who, if nothing else, knows how to demagogue.

But the hottest place in political hell should be reserved for members of Congress, including the weak-kneed Democrats, who essentially went along with Mr. Bush's "compromise."

It did not seem to bother Senators and Representatives that the Writ of Habeas Corpus is being suspended for enemy combatants. There is now no way to learn whether or not the prisoner is indeed an enemy, or just someone who was gathered up in a sweep of foreigners in Afghanistan, because, without habeas corpus, their detention cannot be tested in a court.

Senate Democrats, who in recent years have dug in to filibuster at the slightest provocation, this time merely stood up to record their opposition, knowing full well they would lose a straight up or down vote on the Bush compromise. But instead of really trying to stop the legislation, those who opposed it were content to make a speech and vote against it so they could later brag about their principled stand.

Everyone knew that was the Bush/Rove strategy-bring it up just before the elections so you can accuse the opposition of being soft on terrorism. It worked with the Iraqi War resolution in 2002, so why not now?

My wife, who is from the Middle East, in fact from a country that tortures its prisoners, was nearly in tears when, after hearing about the legislation, told me that everyone in her home country always looked up to America as a beacon of freedom. But those who loved America as an idea would now feel completely alone.

President Bush continually says that, "they" hate us because of our freedoms. That may explain why, in this legislation and in the Patriot Act, he is, piece by piece, trying to remove our freedoms. If this is his idea of protecting Americans, we really can't stand much more protection.

The public's opposition to this draconian law is the only thing that will give Congress the backbone to preserve our freedoms.

--

James Abourezk served as the U.S. Congressman and Senator from South Dakota from 1973-1979. His memoir, Advise & Dissent: Memoirs of South Dakota and the U.S. Senate, was published in 1989. Abourezk founded the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, and he is a signer of the Call from World Can't Wait-Drive Out the Bush Regime which is holding protests in over 150 cities on October 5, 2006.

SOURCE - http://www.freespeech.org/fscm2/contentviewer.php?content_id=1472















Peace by piece...
BK

_______________________

...

Black Krishna Brand

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/blackkrishnaverse

Philosophy - http://blackkrishna.blogspot.com/

Music - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/blackkrishna.htm

...

P.S. Stewart and Colbert show us they're lying and trying to dumb us down, to find out why and help Save The World, please Google for "TerrorStorm: A History of Government Sponsored Terrorism", "America: Freedom to Fascism" and "SaveTheInternet.com". Also, check the daily newswires at "Infowars.com" and "PrisonPlanet.com" -- and pass this info on to everybody -- NOW!!!

Interesting, I have some concerns about it's truth for a few reasons I won't reveal that might spoil it for you, but rest assured you will feel more sympathetic and empathetic towards Mr. Chappelle, and rest assured that's a good feeling - BK

::: The Chappelle Theory :::

...The story behind what REALLY happened to Dave Chappelle...

http://www.chappelletheory.com/

New Eminem Track References Wire Tapping, Political Assassinations, and 9/11

9/11 Blogger
Friday, December 1, 2006


DOWNLOAD/LISTEN NOW - Eminem - Public Enemy #1 - 2.4mb MP3


SOURCE FOR SOURCES - http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/december2006/011206Eminem.htm

A track entitled 'Public Enemy #1' on Eminem's upcoming mixtape The Re-up caught my ear this afternoon. The track features a simple almost militant style beat somewhat similar in tone to his last politically motivated track Mosh. While Mosh (which New York magazine called “the most important piece of mainstream dissent since the 60s”) alluded to 9/11 via caricatures of Bush reading 'My Pet Goat' and newspaper clippings on 9/11 (including the infamous 'Bush Knew' New York Post article), this new track goes into much darker subjects.



Frames referencing 9/11 in Eminem's 'Mosh' music video





The track makes references to his phones being tapped, how an FBI van might pull up and he might just disappear, or maybe get taken out by a sniper one day. He goes on to say how he is focused on writing as many tracks as he can just incase something happens, and takes it one step further saying that he has already accepted he would be killed and then painted negatively for his actions. This is the point where the track briefly references 9/11 (after mentioning tremendous tremors) before going on to talk about 2 Pac predicting his death, and JFK's assasination - an allusion to them both being killed for being 'public enemy #1' in the past.

(more after the break..)

Here is a rough set of lyrics:

I sense someone's tapping into my phones why do...
I got this feeling in my bones I might die soon...
The F.B.I might be tryin to pull my file soon...
I might be walking blind fold into a typhoon...
I might be seeing rockets light up the night sky...
Right outside of the window of my living room...
And if they do you can say goodnight and bye bye to my tunes...
If I don't try to record as much before I do...
The plan is to have as many in the can as I can...
As I stand before you in this booth a walking deadman...
Blank stare, dead pan look as my face as I gaze into space...
As I wait to be scooped up in that van...
Mysteriously disappear into thin air...
And they gon' say a sniper just appeared out of no where...
And I'll go down in the history as the blood sucking leech...
Who hid behind the freedom of speech...
Tried to take the fifth amendment use it, twist it and bend it...
(???)
The business way to end this...
I can feel the tremors tremendous...
In remembrance of September 11...
Flash back to September 7th...
When Tupac was murdered in Vegas...
He said that he predicted his own death...
Let us never forget it or should we ever live to regret it...
Like the day John F Kennedy was assassinated in broad day...
By a craze lunatic with a gun...
Who just happened to work on the same block in a library book depository...
Where the President would go for a little Friday stroll...
Shots fired from the grassy knoll...
But they don't know or do they?...
Who's they? Touché...
We're all vulnerable and it's spooky...
This is about as kooky as I've ever felt now...
Count down to Nuclear Meltdown...
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
You can run you can do what you want to...
But you know you ain't gonna do nuttin...
When its time its your time...
You are the prime target...
You have become Public Enemy Number 1...

While Eminem is not known for being a 9/11 skeptic, and he has not overtly stated that he is one, there is plenty to suggest that he is at least a questioner of the official story. Not only does this track and the Mosh track reference 9/11, but his former DJ - Green Lantern - had the track 'Bin Laden' by Immortal Technique (featuring Mos Def) alongside tracks by Eminem and other members of Shady Records. There are other past references to 9/11 as well such as a mockery of Bin Laden speaking to a camera, and having the backdrop fall down and reveal Dick Cheney and other members of the Bush administration. Most of these references have been scattered about so far, but perhaps that will change soon.

This is not Eminem's new album, it is a mix tape for his label Shady Records, but it may give an idea as to what direction Eminem will go in his next solo album - or at least we can hope. One thing is for certain, if he did go down this direction further in the future he most assuredly would become 'public enemy #1'.

Check out the song, post some thoughts, and check out our large 9/11 related hip-hop section on 911podcasts.com.

Reader Comments


SOURCE FOR SOURCES - http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/december2006/011206Eminem.htm