Daily Archives: September 10, 2003

Late Night Reading

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Jesse at Pandagon would like to hear something other then the usual pablum from bush on 9/11. Something that will truly “dignify the deaths of 3000 people.”
The 51st Carnival of the Vanities is up at Solport. Plenty of good reading.
Greg Easterbrook and Jacob Levy discuss the revised Oath of Allegiance that new citizens must recite. Luckily natural born citizens do not have to commit to this kind of stuff. Really, I’d like to hear more about the government’s commitments.
Good Night!

Patriot Act II or?

This entry was posted in bush Constitution Domestic Terrorism Drug Laws Law Libertarianism Patriot Act War on Terrorism on by

Whatever it is going to be called bush is stumping for it. At Quanitco today, he made a pitch for increased use of administrative supoenas, elimination of bail for terrorist suspects and additional death penalty provisions. Part of his rationale being something like if we can have these things for certain other crimes why not terrorism. For instance, with regard to administrative supoenas:

They’re used in a wide range of criminal and civil matters, including health care fraud and child abuse cases.

Perhaps they shouldn’t be used in any situation. It strikes me that probably cause approved by a judge ought to be the minimum standard.
I don’t think anyone outside bush’s cabal has seen what they plan to send to congress. Expect things to go less well for whatever it is then the roll over and play dead act that congress did for Patriot Act 1.
Talkleft (and I’m sure others) has been working this heavily. See here (the most recent as of this writing) and previous posts.

al Qaeda or Islam?

This entry was posted in al Qaeda bush US Foreign Policy War on Terrorism on by

al Quaeda, in the newly published The Future of Iraq and The Arabian Peninsula After The Fall of Baghdad by bin Laden associate Yussuf al-Ayyeri, says that their battle really is againt the American system:

‘IT is not the American war machine that should be of the utmost concern to Muslims. What threatens the future of Islam, in fact its very survival, is American democracy.”

Amir Taheri reviews the book and its arguments in the Washington Post. Since I haven’t read the book I will posit that Taheri’s analysis and extracted quotes are representative of al Qaeda’s position. It certainly seems to match what has filtered through the bushie’s smokescreens.

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Tired of the Recall Election

This entry was posted in Culture Humor Libertarianism Politics Privacy Religion on by

Mark Morford has some recall suggestions. Things that you can do without a million bucks. For example, a mild one from the middle of the list:

Recall the idea that if your ass isn’t making a permanent indentation in your $149 Ikea couch every Sunday for six hours straight during NFL season, you are somehow betraying the very notion of manliness and testosterone. This is your choice. You are the only voter that matters. Do you sense your power now?

If this is you get started. If it isn’t you go read the rest. You’ll find at least one or two that apply to you. Take back your life now.
NB: Some of Morford’s suggestions will surely offend some of you. You know, all the taboos: language, sex, politics, religion,….