Obama administration officials, fearing a battle with Congress that could stall plans to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, are crafting language for an executive order that would reassert presidential authority to incarcerate terrorism suspects indefinitely, according to three senior government officials with knowledge of White House deliberations.  (See rest of article in link below)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/26/AR2009062603361.html

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_king.gif

This is clearly a complex problem brought on by the previous administration's blunders.

This is clearly a complex problem brought on by the previous administration's blunders.


Indeed, but this may change the long term opinions of Bush's actions with regard to Gitmo.

Indeed, but this may change the long term opinions of Bush's actions with regard to Gitmo.


Could be, but my point is that Gitmo should never have been used for this purpose.  That was the big goof.

Could be, but my point is that Gitmo should never have been used for this purpose.  That was the big goof.


No argument here.

Meet the new boss,

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1787/obamaring.jpg

Same as the old boss.

At this point, Gitmo is a necessary evil.  Sadly, it is the result of the public being too afraid to allow these prisoners to live among us, but do you really expect any politician to go through with something that would be political suicide?

The rule of law is forever changing, but it doesn't always change for the better.  This is one of our darker moments with regard to justice, but we live in dark times....  and they will only get worse in the coming years.

At this point, Gitmo is a necessary evil.  Sadly, it is the result of the public being too afraid to allow these prisoners to live among us, but do you really expect any politician to go through with something that would be political suicide?

The rule of law is forever changing, but it doesn't always change for the better.  This is one of our darker moments with regard to justice, but we live in dark times....  and they will only get worse in the coming years.

Not often I agree this much with one of your posts, Mac ;)  With the possible exception of the word "necessary", but I know what you mean.  I am surprised at the extent of the lack of courage (no, not even courage - make that lack of comprehension of risk levels) that makes the morally-correct decision to close Guantanamo politically suicidal - I really didn't take the average US citizen (and especially Republican politician) to be such a scaredy-cat.  Having said that, I do wonder whether the scaremongering by the Republicans is honest (in that they do believe that these guys present the significant risk that they make out), or whether they're just trying to make political capital out of their own moral black hole... it's probably the latter.

Meet the new boss,

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1787/obamaring.jpg

Same as the old boss.


That's awesome.  ;D

Not often I agree this much with one of your posts, Mac ;)  With the possible exception of the word "necessary", but I know what you mean.  I am surprised at the extent of the lack of courage (no, not even courage - make that lack of comprehension of risk levels) that makes the morally-correct decision to close Guantanamo politically suicidal - I really didn't take the average US citizen (and especially Republican politician) to be such a scaredy-cat.  Having said that, I do wonder whether the scaremongering by the Republicans is honest (in that they do believe that these guys present the significant risk that they make out), or whether they're just trying to make political capital out of their own moral black hole... it's probably the latter.


Good points...  but the Democrats aren't doing much better.  Obama goes back and forth on this issue probably because he doesn't want to lose too much political capital over it.  He's got a much bigger issue to deal with: socialized medicine.

Then again, what the GOP has been saying about these prisoners might be somewhat true in one respect: an innocent person who's been tortured by our government is more likely to sympathize with terrorists because of the natural resentment he/she feels from his/her ordeal.  This is why I personally support releasing them but doing so via the Witness Protection Agency -- where they can blend in with society unknown to the world as a terror suspect while the government watches them from afar (just in case).

It's a screwed up situation, but we must be practical about this.

He's got a much bigger issue to deal with: socialized medicine.


Of course, to me the major issue is the defense of the nation.  THis should be the first, last, and primary duty of the President.

Everything else come secondary.  And it is this kind of prioritizing that has me and a lot of others worried.

Of course, to me the major issue is the defense of the nation.  THis should be the first, last, and primary duty of the President.

Everything else come secondary.  And it is this kind of prioritizing that has me and a lot of others worried.

Oh, come off it: if the nation were even remotely under threat, rhetoric like that might be justified.

Where's the threat that requires a trillion-dollar defence budget?

Oh, come off it: if the nation were even remotely under threat, rhetoric like that might be justified.

Where's the threat that requires a trillion-dollar defence budget?


This explains it in 90 seconds. (NSFW, language)

Ant

This explains it in 90 seconds. (NSFW, language)

Ant

:D
..sounded a remarkably Russian-esque accent speaking, though.