When SB-1867 is written into law with the new provision of grading anyone as an “enemy combatant,” bin Laden’s predictions in his 30 Oct 2004 speech on Al-jazeera, http://worldpress.org/... come winging home like a band of harpies. Read the entire speech, which was not released by our corporate media before the 2004 election. I wonder why?
“So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah.
“…the Royal Institute of International Affairs. [When they pointed out that] for example, al-Qaida spent $500,000 on the event, while America, in the incident and its aftermath, lost - according to the lowest estimate - more than $500 billion.
“Meaning that every dollar of al-Qaida defeated a million dollars by the permission of Allah, besides the loss of a huge number of jobs.
“As for the size of the economic deficit, it has reached record astronomical numbers estimated to total more than a trillion dollars. (This was written in 2004)
“And even more dangerous and bitter for America is that the mujahidin recently forced Bush to resort to emergency funds to continue the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, which is evidence of the success of the bleed-until-bankruptcy plan - with Allah's permission.
“And it's no secret to you that the thinkers and perceptive ones from among the Americans warned Bush before the war and told him: "All that you want for securing America and removing the weapons of mass destruction - assuming they exist - is available to you, and the nations of the world are with you in the inspections, and it is in the interest of America that it not be thrust into an unjustified war with an unknown outcome."
“But the darkness of the black gold blurred his vision and insight, and he gave priority to private interests over the public interests of America.
“So the war went ahead, the death toll rose, the American economy bled, and Bush became embroiled in the swamps of Iraq that threaten his future. He fits the saying "like the naughty she-goat who used her hoof to dig up a knife from under the earth".”
We are still reacting to the horror of 9/11. We have given up more freedoms than at any time in our country’s history, except maybe during WWI under Woodrow Wilson. The First Amendment is toast, exercise it and get tear gassed, clubbed, pepper sprayed, and shot at with rubber bullets. Real ones are coming next. No more Fourth Amendment. Aside from the illegal seizure of books, tents, and personal belongings at OWS protests, we are under constant surveillance by God knows who- CIA, OHS, DOD (aren’t they all the same?). And now the nail in the coffin of Amendments I and IV, habeas corpus, and civil rights with this bill, co-sponsored by Sens. Levin and McCain. What the hell if wrong with them?