Glenn Greenwald on the extrajudicial execution of Anwar al-Awlaki.
What's most striking about this is not that the U.S. Government has seized and exercised exactly the power the Fifth Amendment was designed to bar ("No person shall be deprived of life without due process of law"), and did so in a way that almost certainly violates core First Amendment protections (questions that will now never be decided in a court of law). What's most amazing is that its citizens will not merely refrain from objecting, but will stand and cheer the U.S. Government's new power to assassinate their fellow citizens, far from any battlefield, literally without a shred of due process from the U.S. Government. Many will celebrate the strong, decisive, Tough President's ability to eradicate the life of Anwar al-Awlaki -- including many who just so righteously condemned those Republican audience members as so terribly barbaric and crass for cheering Governor Perry's execution of scores of serial murderers and rapists -- criminals who were at least given a trial and appeals and the other trappings of due process before being killed.
Labels: al-Qaida, Anwar_al-Awlaki, Barack Obama, Glenn Greenwald, terrorism, United States, war against bullshit
Thanks for the link, and enjoy yer break.
Posted by Anonymous | Saturday, October 01, 2011 6:00:00 pm
Woops, wrong post. (I'd like to state that I'm not Glenn Greenwald. Though he'd have more reason to deny being me.)
Posted by Anonymous | Sunday, October 02, 2011 12:06:00 am
Post a Comment