It’s great when liberals and conservatives can find common ground not only with each other, but also with us libertarians. It doesn’t happen often, so it’s worth embracing it when it actually does happen. With a new power that the Obama administration, this could well be such an occasion.
Salon.com’s Glenn Greenwaldreports on his blog that the Department of Defense’s General Counsel, Jeh Johnson, testified before the United States Senate that the President has the power to hold even those detainees that are given a trial indefinitely. Now, this is something that even President Bush, with all of his assaults on civil liberties, never even approached much less actually did and now the Obama administration is going to do them? What’s the point of giving due process to someone who will never see the light of day anyways?
This is the first time anyone from within the government has confirmed the administration’s belief that it can detain someone even after acquittal. This, boys and girls, is truly scary.
For years, there have been those who were ready to call anyone who disagreed with them traitors ot the nation. How long until someone is able to make that stick? Then, picture after a trial where some poor soul is found innocent, he or she is still locked up for all eternity because the President didn’t like what they were saying. Now, does that sound like a free society?
OK, now lets take it back a step. Let’s say someone is accused of a terrorist act. They’re found innocent. Unfortunately, the White House doesn’t think they are, so this poor schlub is locked back up indefinitely, denied his rights because the President thinks he’s a threat. The President thinks he’s a threat?
How many at the Tea Parties could qualify as that without ever espousing a single harmful thing or advocating any type of aggression? We could easily be considered a “threat”.
Now, it’s important to note that I don’t necessarily think Obama will do this. Honestly, I don’t think that’s his intention, though I could be wrong. Instead, I worry more about the precedent for something like this. Obama might not be the one to worry about, but what about the next guy? What about the next President. What if they target your particular group for whatever reason?
This is a horrible wrong, and it’s based on nothing Constitutional from what I can see. What’s worse, Obama should know this already, since he’s supposed to be an expert in Constitutional law. Once something like this is done, how easily can it be undone?
Not very.
