Juan Cole: " Year One of the Empire " bush is a French King now

[leftchick]

http://www.juancole.com/

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Year One of the Empire
Bush: Resistance is Illogical

Bush and a supine, cowardly Congress shredded the US Constitution on Tuesday, abolishing the right of a court review (habeas corpus) for some classes of suspect. Suspect, mind you, not proven criminal.

In other words, we have to be confident that George W. Bush is so competent, all-knowing, and inherently just that we can just trust him. If he says someone is an enemy combatant, then he or she is. No need to check with a judge about why he or she is being held. And then Bush can have the suspect tortured to make him confess, and can convict him on the basis of the coerced confession, all in secret.

This law creates two classes of persons inside the United States, citizens with rights and non-citizens (12 million persons? Equivalent to the entire state of Michigan!) without rights.

Basically, Bush can issue them what the French kings used to call lettres de cachet.:

' In French history, lettres de cachet were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal, or cachet. They contained orders directly from the king, often to enforce arbitrary actions and judgements that could not be appealed. . .'

[acmavm]

1. bush** is too classless to be compared to a French King. Try

a Russian peasant thug like Stalin.

[rfranklin]

2. French kings were thugs who claimed divine right...

to deprive people of life and liberty. The idea that they had any "class" is merely the age old rationalization that the rich elite have used to convince themselves that they are chosen by God or are inherently superior and thus "deserve" to ride on the backs of all the other people on earth.

[acmavm]

6. I was referring to manners and speech and intellect. I agree,

all royalty is useless. Once they becames despots rather than leaders of troops in battle, they became expendable. But for some damn reason the human race is fascinated with royalty and will follow them to the death no matter is the cause is good or bad.

No where in my post did I say royalty is good. Nor did I say it was bad. I just meant the outward behavior.

People read so much into stuff around here. It's soooo strange.

And I still think he's more a Stalin than a Louis XIV.

[bloom]

13. Exactly so - the crowning of a pig

Dress the pig up in jewels and gold and furs - set it on a throne - and some people think it deserves respect. (Or call him the President of the US - for the same effect)

[lapislzi]

10. Hey! Quit insulting us peasants!

We don't want to claim him either!

Every damn time there's a revolution, it's us peasants who get used 'n screwed.

Little Boots has more in common with a degenerate aristocracy than he has with any peasant I know.

[whistle]

3. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo applies now to King Baby Bush

...How many Jean Valjeans <#24601> will Bush's policies now create. I suggest that 80% of the population of the United States is now at risk of having all of their civil rights suspended indefinitely and the remaining 20% will have only those rights retained which their wealth can afford.

[fasttense]

4. So how long before the bushes put out a secret lettres de cahet

and make ever Democratic person an enemy combatant? Such a handy little tool handed over to a crazy dictator.

[Boomer]

5. What Cole said

The Republic is Dead, Long Live the Republic.

You want a resurrection of the Republic?

Join the American Civil Liberties Union and send it lots of money.

http://www.aclu.org

[Dhalgren]

7. We are the dead...

[SpiralHawk]

8. I always thought Commander AWOL was a little too "French"

if you catch my drift...

[Bozita]

11. "compassionate conservatism" concerned with welfare of prisoners

Great graphic!

[bdamomma]

9. Juan Cole is going to be on Sam Seder right now.

[Marr]

12. I've told this to alot of people- and only one has actually become angry.

He's a retired military man (and current minister) and he was a solid Republican supporter up until this bill came along. I told him about it, and he didn't want to believe it- so I showed him some print stories on it, and he was visbly angry. I mean pissed- the way everyone ought to be.

Just about everyone else I've told this to has eventually shrugged, shaken their head, and changed the subject. I really don't know what's wrong with alot of people. If you can't get upset about this, what the hell CAN you get upset about?

[alfredo]

14. I just wrote my congressman and asked him if there are

anything to prevent bush from using this law to imprison political opponents.

I made a graphic to be put up around the country.




We need to make sure people know of Oct 17 2006 as black tuesday.

[verse18]

15. If that's so,

It may be time to bring back the guillotine.