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L. Neil Smith's THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE Number 181, July 8, 2002 WHAT FREEDOMS ARE LEFT?
Whose Constitution?
Exclusive to TLE It occurs to me that the Bushes are one seriously strange family. Never mind the seemingly hereditary tendency to the sort of megalomania that induces them to attempt to lord it over everyone else. Let's just look at their bizarre notions on Constitutional powers and protections. Granted, the document that made the United States a constitutional republic with guarantees of individual freedom is quite thoroughly dead. But these folks did take oaths to obey that Constitution. Does everyone remember Bush Senior's Operation Just (Be)Cause? George sure took the concept of dynamic entry to a whole new level that time. Think about it: King George mounted a military offensive against a foreign country. Said military forces captured a foreign national - Noriega was the prez down there, no less - and dragged his butt to the US to stand trial in a civilian court for actions committed outside of the US. George was pretty clearly declaring that the jurisdiction of the US Constitution extends everywhere to everyone. Bush Junior's administration is perpetuating that fallacy in prosecuting a Russian programmer for daring to write US-disapproved software in Russia. Yet this is the same Dubya who claims that a US citizen arrested in American by civil authorities, who never saw combat against the US, is an "enemy combatant" not entitled to Constitutional protections whatsoever (poor ol' Padilla, of course). blink So which is it, Mr. Bush? Hmm. If the boy believes that the Constitution is only for foreigners, it would explain the total disregard Dubya and his bumbling band of jackbooted thugs have for the Bill of Rights here in America. But then, why are US soldiers running around in other countries confiscating arms from peaceable civilians? Junior doesn't have a clue. I suppose that this total lack of comprehension of the Constitution also explains why Dummy.... er, Dubya thinks he has declared war, and that "enemy combatants" can be held for the duration of the war. And why he has suspended habeas corpus for citizens. Frankly, the idea that anyone or organization would even want the 'right' to initiate force on a global scale is rather sickening. But the federal government does make that claim in the Constitution. The only problem for Bushy is that the power to declare war isn't his; it rests solely in Congress (possibly on the theory of diluting the guilt). Fact is, any way you look at it, Bush has violated the Constitution. Massively. If you want to play the game of government, you should at least obey your own rules. Dubya cheats. And in the gov-game, that's called treason. Okay, you flag-wavers out there. If you believe in this Constitutional government, then abide by that Constitution. All of it. All of the time. Enforce it, which happens to mean sending Dubya and his buddies to prison for their crimes. Alternately, demand that your pet politicians in DC finally and formally - and publicly - declare that the Constitution is null and void; that there are no rights, but only temporary privileges to be doled out at the dissection of the political ruling class, and that power rest with the first to use it; which is the current operating principle of the Presidency. Or you could recognize government for the ever-growing evil monster that it is.
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