I recently ran a couple of columns (here and here) and postings criticizing President Obama’s assertion of the right to kill citizens as a presidential prerogative. It now appears that he has delegated the selection of targets for killings to a panel of unnamed officials who determine which people should be killed without a trial or even a charge. When it comes to citizens like Anwar al-Awlaki, the killings raise serious constitutional problems that are being kept from the courts by the Administration.
The identity of the members of the death panel are secret. There is no public record of their decisions or the basis for the kill order. Indeed, neither the target nor the public will necessarily know that it was this panel that ordered the killing.
While civil libertarians are raising voices of concern over such extrajudicial killings of citizens, the Obama Administration has portrayed “the killing of Awlaki as a demonstration of President Barack Obama’s toughness toward militants who threaten the United States.” It has worked. Even conservatives are cheering the killings of the two citizens. Apparently, death panels in health care are enough to rally thousands in opposition but an actual death panel produces nary a yawn if the targets are hated. The fear is that this is how the rule of law dies — to the cheers and thunderous applause of citizens.
The results of the panel are simply submitted to the President, who retains the authority to countermand their decisions.
Obama has the distinction of putting the first citizen on the list. As noted in the earlier postings, Bush killed a citizen who was riding with a target, but Obama outdid his predecessor again in ordering the killing of a citizen.
Source: Reuters
Perhaps we need to articulate “pseudolaw” like the scientists have tried to articulate “pseudoscience”?
It seems to me that the president is practicing pseudolaw.
Mrs. Gump: You have to do the best with what God gave you.
Bdaman,
The Tepublicans were not gassed because they were not challenging the powers that control the economy. AY, when the police gassed defenseless people in their pens, who was instigating that?
http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2011/10/scott-brown-takes-poke-elizabeth-warren-appearance-boston-radio-show/s745o8D3uv5kJ3Uvfk98qI/index.html Elizabeth Warren was attacked by a sexist republican today. The hits just keep on coming.
Maybe I am wrong but I see Elaine as more of an Elizabeth Warren independent democrat rather than a republican.
Elaine M.,
Better be careful or someone might think you are going republican….
Bdaman,
Do you really blame the protesters? Or do you think that its possible with the standing garrisons, militias a/k/a police departments incited the incidents….or even escalated them in any way….
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly had some strong words for “Occupy Wall Street” protesters Thursday, blaming participants for starting skirmishes which led to more than 20 arrests on Wednesday.
“What they did is they counted. They actually had a countdown — 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 — they grouped together, they joined arms and they charged the police. They attacked the police. They wanted to get into Wall Street, they wanted to occupy Wall Street,” Kelly told reporters.
“Sanitation is a growing concern,” Brookfield said in a statement. “Normally the park is cleaned and inspected every weeknight. . . because the protestors refuse to cooperate. . .the park has not been cleaned since Friday, September 16th and as a result, sanitary conditions have reached unacceptable levels.”
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/10/06/kelly-protesters-to-be-met-with-force-if-they-target-officers/
OK Raff but I don’t recall scores of T-Partiers being arrested and peppered sprayed.
Do you ?
I think President Obama may just be trying to uphold a great American tradition. Remember Dick Cheney’s death squads that Seymour Hersh talked about a couple of years ago?
Seymour Hersh: Secret US Forces Carried Out Assassinations in a Dozen Countries, Including in Latin America
Democracy Now
March 31, 2009
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/3/31/seymour_hersh_secret_us_forces_carried
Summary:
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh created a stir earlier this month when he said the Bush administration ran an “executive assassination ring” that reported directly to Vice President Dick Cheney. “Under President Bush’s authority, they’ve been going into countries, not talking to the ambassador or to the CIA station chief, and finding people on a list and executing them and leaving,” Hersh said. Seymour Hersh joins us to explain.
The protestors are peaceful, it is the NYPD who is out of control
“Turned Violent”
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Scores of protesters were arrested in Manhattan Saturday as a march against social inequality turned violent.
Hundreds of people carrying banners and chanting “shame, shame” walked between Zuccotti Park, near Wall St. and Union Square calling for changes to a financial system they say unjustly benefits the rich and harms the poor.
At least 80 people were carted away in police vehicles and up to five were hit with pepper spray near 12th St. and Fifth Ave., where tensions became especially high, police and organizers said.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-09-24/news/30219815_1_pepper-spray-protesters-unarmed-man
Raff
The wall street protestors are peaceful
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/23-arrested-wednesday-in-wall-st-protest/
Ironically the NY Times has video from a Fox News Affiliate. What is the world coming to.
Gene H and Slarti:
you guys are right, I have seen the light. Rand is wrong and the Kochs suck. I think we need to tax the rich and you are right about national health care as well, great idea. And stimulus? We need more.
Pollution? No problem tax the polluters and get the EPA on their behinds.
thanks for educating me, I really appreciate it.
Sincerely.
erykah,
I don’t know off the top of my head….but I’ve “Wanted” to know….
Another “Star Chamber” reference:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/us/even-those-cleared-of-crimes-can-stay-on-fbis-terrorist-watch-list.html?pagewanted=all
Even Those Cleared of Crimes Can Stay on F.B.I.’s Watch List
By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: September 27, 2011
The F.B.I. procedures encourage agents to renominate suspects for the watch list even if they were already put on it by another agency — meaning multiple agencies would have to be involved in any attempt to later remove that person.
The procedures offer no way for people who are on the watch list to be notified of that fact or given an opportunity to see and challenge the specific allegations against them.
Chris Calabrese, a counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, called the watch list system a “Star Chamber” — “a secret determination, that you have no input into, that you are a terrorist. Once that determination is made, it can ripple through your entire life and you have no way to challenge it.” (end of excerpt)
Bdaman,
The wall street protestors are peaceful and they are there for a great cause.
As to this issue of the secret panel charged with placing Americans on a hit list, is the problem at hand. Don’t lump the OWS protestors with the false labels that Fox News and other Main Stream Media folks have been using.
If round em all up and put them in some camp means….the Politicians….I agree with you….if it is the people protesting….then…not so much….Too much like let them eat cake….
Damn! What is the name of that movie with Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie when Freeman’s character was ordering the assassination of peopl First it started with a few and then it got out of control until the people closest to him also ended up on that list. Anybody know what I’m talking about? Life is stranger than fiction indeed.
I’m with ya AY. One thing for sure we in one big mess.
I think the streets are gonna be filled with blood here shortly. Just look at theses crazy fools in the street.
Round’em all up I say and send them to some sort of recreational camp 🙂