... by 20 year New York Times foreign correspondent Chris Hedges. Author of eight books? (no wiki tonight --blackout-- against SOPA/PIPA)

http://www.truthdig.com/...ng_barack_obama_20120116/

Chris Hedges
Why I’m Suing Barack Obama

"But I suspect the real purpose of this bill is to thwart internal, domestic movements that threaten the corporate state. The definition of a terrorist is already so amorphous under the Patriot Act that there are probably a few million Americans who qualify to be investigated if not locked up. Consider the arcane criteria that can make you a suspect in our new military-corporate state. The Department of Justice considers you worth investigating if you are missing a few fingers, if you have weatherproof ammunition, if you own guns or if you have hoarded more than seven days of food in your house. Adding a few of the obstructionist tactics of the Occupy movement to this list would be a seamless process. On the whim of the military, a suspected “terrorist” who also happens to be a U.S. citizen can suffer extraordinary rendition—being kidnapped and then left to rot in one of our black sites “until the end of hostilities.” Since this is an endless war that will be a very long stay."

...

"This demented “war on terror” is as undefined and vague as such a conflict is in any totalitarian state. Dissent is increasingly equated in this country with treason. Enemies supposedly lurk in every organization that does not chant the patriotic mantras provided to it by the state. And this bill feeds a mounting state paranoia. It expands our permanent war to every spot on the globe. It erases fundamental constitutional liberties. It means we can no longer use the word “democracy” to describe our political system."

Hedges is a flipping nutcase, he must have dirt on his editor to have kept his job this long.

I don't know much about Hedges, but I couldn't agree more with what he is saying here.

I like Chris Hedges. He has written eight very good books and won a Pulitzer Prize. He is criticized for his muckraking journalism. Re-establishing our rights as provided by the Constitution and Bill of Rights is paramount to a functioning Democracy. Watching this erosion of our civil liberties during my lifetime is despicable. We all have responsibility as citizens in a Democracy and it is about time to remember.

I assume he is talking about the Defense re-authorization act with the new provisions on dealing with US Citizens?

Like I said before, as long as the working class can still use enough of the wages from their labor to buy the next shiny new <gadget> and put food on the table, you won't see many people getting off their couches or their la-z-boys to do anything about it.

Sure, you'll have lots of people typing in text on the internet, but typing is pretty much the easiest accomplishment for most people. It takes actual 'work' and 'risk' to actually leave the hovels most people call 'home' and stand in a street or 'occupy' some land and protest--and these days, you'll simply be rounded up and maybe released eventually, never to be remembered by the people who don't care.

Is silly to sue simbama is not his fault, yeah he isn't doing much to fix the problem, but he didn't cause it, I think he should grow some balls and DO SOMETHING, even if that ends up failing

You mean like pretty much everything he's done so far?

Multiple $100billion+ bailouts to companies/banks that should have failed, massively-increased debt, Obamacare (lol), pulling out of Iraq just to prepare for Iran...

I think he's done quite enough.

Hmmmmmmmm

You guys have plans to go after Iran?

Bad idea...

Also maybe he pulled out of Iraq, to be on better ground to police the world.

Remember How Russia LoLed when Bush asked them to end hostilities with Albania?

Albania attacks separatist state under the protection of Russia.

Russia roll stomps Albania with ease.

Bush asks super soldier Vladimir Putin to stop attacking or else.

Vladimir laughs

i disagree, you don't need to have boots on the ground. the navy will open that hormuz place pretty damn quick, and the air force will, well, bomb the fluff out that desert.

oh, but they might shoot down an unmanned drone, or two..

(don't worry, there is a reason why i'm not an american general :P)

"The definition of a terrorist is already so amorphous under the Patriot Act that there are probably a few million Americans who qualify to be investigated if not locked up."

Ehh... I don't see how you can be familiar with the legislative language and still have this complaint, at least not honestly. It's kind of like the shoplifters who complain about shoplifting laws being too vague because, really, who is to say that they didn't intend to pay for that candy bar shoved down their pants? (This is an actual argument advanced by AFAOF)

You didn't notice? That drum has been beating hard since late November. Let's see the list we've come up with so far... over the past few years...

- oppressive against their own citizens
- meddling in Iraq
- pursuing nuclear weapons
- selling arms to Syrian gov't
- nuclear deals with N. Korea
- extensive rhetoric against the U.S. (Great Satan)
- doesn't believe Israel has a right to exist
- threatening the world oil supply routes
- captured, imprisoned suspected U.S. spies
- led an assassination attempt in Washington D.C.

It doesn't matter if you believe any or all of the above. The point is that our gov't has been stacking up the reasons for years. Clearly, they have an intent.

Didn't know the assassination part, and yeah, I know USA-Iran relations are.... who are we kidding they don't exist, but considering the state of the economy, a one sided war would disrupt your economy even more.

If the war was one of combat that would last for months then that would create jobs, and the government could easily use it as an excuse to raise taxes, but another Iraq would be foolish.

Now that it isn't blacked out anymore...

http://en.wikipedia.org/...d_Iran_assassination_plot

I don't support the notion of war with Iran at all, just acknowledging the current momentum in that direction.

It has some very loose language. I am not saying the Govt. could get away with locking up a bunch of US Citizens without an uproar, but it paves the way for it in the future. It is the direction our country is heading that is clear and dangerous.

Grimm: Sorry that I did not have the link up. I edited my post so you can read the quote in context. Hedges does a better job than I could of explaining what is imperative.