"all enemies, foreign and domestic"

[Mairead]

Congresscritters and the military take oaths to defend the nation against all enemies, whether foreign or domestic. (Interestingly, the P, VP, & SCOTUS office-takers don't).

How might we recognise a domestic enemy? Is a domestic enemy only someone who, for example, outs a spook, hands classified information to a foreign country, or helps someone build a bomb?

How about someone who owns land with a large body of water on it and who poisons that water? Would they qualify as a domestic enemy, or does the fact they own the land let them off the hook?

How about other situations? Is there some general test by which we can recognise a 'domestic enemy'?

[wli]

1. easy, anyone "insufficiently pro-war" or "insufficiently pro-Bush"

But the real domestic enemies are the neocons.

[Mairead]

2. Okay, but really...

Saying someone is a neocon isn't sufficient to prosecute them. What kinds of things should qualify someone as a domestic enemy who can be charged with treason?

[LaurenG]

3. Big F'ing Liars who drag us to war on a pack of lies

By the way, does anyone else remember *bush stating that he was going to war with or without congressional approval? I'd love to find that quote and send it to Conyers too.

[wli]

5. that should already be impeachable

We need a total landslide in 2006 and with Democratic majorities in both houses. Once we have that we should be able to prosecute the bastard to the full extent of US and international law, and all his cronies, too.

[wli]

4. "adhering to their enemies; giving them Aid and Comfort"

Pretty vague stuff. Most are prosecuted for espionage. Of course the USA PATRIOT Act vastly expands all this, and a complete end-run of the judicial system can be done at will by uttering the word "terrorist."

[vickitulsa]

6. Well, we could ask the CIA (foreign) or the FBI (domestic)

but oh yeah, the Bushies have been busy discrediting the CIA of late, and offending hundreds of its operatives along the way, so THEY won't give the "right" answer. And the FBI -- say, where IS the FBI in all this anyway? Is Mueller sufficiently in the administration's pocket that we can expect no investigation from the Bureau of all these "domestic" issues?

State and local authorities, as well as the CIA, have historically complained about how the FBI pokes its nose into "their" areas of expertise and operation. Are we now seeing a dramatic case of the FBI simply IGNORING such important reports of wrongdoing as we've heard recently?

I've heard many here indicate that BushCo are not showing great wisdom to be p*ssing off the CIA; but isn't the administration's betrayal and misuse of the MILITARY also offending their sensibilities? Who on earth would want the U.S. military angry at them?

Just a few questions that come to mind on this point.

[indepat]

7. The Administration will tell us who the domestic enemies are: trust them

[LaurenG]

8. Ooo that statement sent chills down my spine. Yuck nt

[vickitulsa]

9. ... me too ...

gaahh! :puke: **shudder**

[indepat]

10. The thought of being labeled an enemy combatant on a whim and without

any semblance of evidence, never to be charged, never having your day in court should be sending chills down every spine. However, suspect true-believers and other RW ideologues feel no need to be fearful.

[earth mom]

11. The rethugs think ALL LIBERALS are domestic enemies...

make no mistake; I've seen them say it to liberals on another message board I used to go to.

There is some scary shit going on in their minds.