[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
After the utter disaster of yesterday—someone needs to be fired in the White House Communications Office after letting a scenario occur where Dick Cheney still leads the country into a stinking mess after whining on TV all weekend, an obvious conclusion of the last five days—comes more cheering news that the loathsome Military Tribunals of Guantanamo will be continued.
President Obama is a constitutional lawyer with Harvard Law Review Editor on his resume. He also quite correctly roundly criticized Guantanamo during the election, but that was then. Oh well. What a shame. Too bad. Never mind, all right. It would be nice if they just flat-out told us what precisely was the political strategy of ass-kissing and acquiescence in all of this, they have to think there’s a political payoff someday, because nobody believes the lame reversal explanations anyway.
The feel-good distraction stories, aspirin and booze are hurriedly being stacked up by the Democratic base all day today, it’s going to be another long weekend as we try to explain why we stay loyal to our Party and politicians despite all the abuse, betrayals and arrogance. If we leave the Party its possible fate of failure is irrevocable, that’s always the inevitable nub of the matter as we trudge through another policy hangover. Yes, it always is a cold, meager comfort, and no, I don’t know if the rationalization will work forever.
We don’t have anywhere else to go and we’d literally die before voting Republican. Always so true. There’s damn well still a tipping point for abuse and the base, Mr. Axelrod, it’s very unwise to test it. Oh yeah, one more thing: I don’t forget, there is no television memory hole at The Left Coaster.
Now that that regrettable business is stated I just have one small item to pass on before I revel in my Dick Cheney Friday, a note that came up again reading about the odious distortions of military tribunals: what’s wrong with the current Federal justice system for handling these prisoners?
Nothing. That’s precisely why we set it up, to handle prisoners, so a "special" way had to be implemented to screw our values and the Constitution. Every single time a citizen sees Special Powers or Super Unique (think Bush vs. Gore) they should instantly know they’re fucked, something has gone horribly wrong.
Remember the Special Election for recalling the governor of California? There was a perfectly valid election four months before but god damn it never mind! So now all these years later we get another Special Arnie Election which represents another flaming disaster, the capture of California government by a freak stupid minority. Governor Bicep, of course, obfuscates the issue and disgusted Californians are going to vomit this stupidity soon, way to go.
After that we blow up Education, many services and any mental confidence we can live as adults, such a shame. Special times, our new century.
Remember Ken Star and all that Special Prosecutor fun? The odds are not good a sterling Patrick Fitzgerald type will be appointed every time, assuming we let any sort of special option for prosecution exist at all, but this is the only instance I can possibly imagine a valid Special government scenario. The risks have to be taken in view of its singular ability to prosecute Executive, there is realistically no other way. Even so, just the consistent airing of the idea always means, again, that something really terrible has happened.
Really terrible with very good odds the perpetrators are laughing at the skating rink, otherwise Super Special mechanisms wouldn’t be needed to somehow bring them to justice. It’s no different this time, thanks a lot, Mr. President.
Still, a fresh Friday is in front us, we have our duty. The little people aren’t allowed 180’s on the fly, we shall finish out the week with our principles firmly and consistently implemented all day, extremely weary but still having the faith always doing the simple right thing is our only option, no matter what our political leadership does.