Bush gave us the MCA '06: now the executive can bypass Constitution. How will a Democrat use that power?

Question

What elements of the Constitution has President Bush bypassed so far? (Even before MCA).

We're likely to find out what a Democratic President will do with it in 2008. MCA = Military Commissions Act of 2006.

I only have 1000 characters to work with birdseed et. al.

So here's an article to get you started:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/artman/publish/article_4269.shtml

Suspension of habeas corpus.

Allowing military judges to define what constitutes legally permissable TORTURE.

Se Fu: I believe in a strong defense for America. That includes a well-trained and well-equipped army. The military should NOT be used to escalate foreign conflicts, and not only because it is morally repugnant. It is because the act of doing so turns foreigners in conflict about where THEIR borders are into people who see the United States as an enemy, too.

I would submit that our imperialism BREEDS enemies, rather than being a justified respnse to enemies who spontaneously appeared one day at America's borders.

And yes, that was the case for WWII as well. Germans didn't decide one day to become Nazis. They went from a nation crippled from the inflation caused by WWI debt into one possessing a formidable WehrMacht. You might be surprised to learn who financed the transformation.

Heidi. See that's the problem right there. YOU think they're animals worthy of torture, and I do not. Suppose someone gets in power who decides that YOU are an animal deserving of torture?

Read the link that one of my helpful answerers provided, go straight to the source:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c109:1:./temp/~c1097BHzuE:e21593:

In this document, the Bush administration has redefined torture (Detainee Treatment Act of 2005.) What was so wrong with the Geneva Conventions, which were good enough to serve as the military's moral compass during WWII, when our enemy combatant were the Japanese, who were at that time in the habit of performing vivisections on prisoners of war?

Besides, if the USA hadn't been infuriating the Palestinians for the last 50 years by siding against it in almost every conflict they've had with Israel, we would not be targets of jihad.

Not to excuse terrorism, but some of these folks've never known anything but life in refugee camps.

Answer 1

Go to
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.6166.EH:

And read it. Anybody but a total idiot who reads it all the way through will know what a monstrosity it is.

What makes anyone think that if the Democrats sweep the next two elections, they will not be branded as terrorists?

One of the many illegalities you will find in it is a prohibition on any challenge or review by any court.

Answer 2

CVG is wrong. This law lets them decide who is an enemy combatant, US citizen or not. If you decide tomorrow that maybe you don't like the battle in Iraq (the war is over, Bush said so himself), they can label you an enemy combatant and according to the law, hold you indefinitely without cause, not tell you why you're being held, and prosecute and convict you on purely circumstantial evidence. Guess you didn't read it very well, huh? It throws out protection any time they want to apply the enemy combatant label and they don't have to explain why you're considered an enemy combatant. Can you say SS? This is the 21st century. Can't we get past this stupidity?

Answer 3

The Constitution applies only to US Citizens. Therefore there was no bypass. If a Democrat wins the White House you can bet they will abuse power just like any other politician. Let's not forget it was Hillary that used the FBI to unlawfully investigate Republicans. Let's not forget that Democrats where in charge when we went to Vietnam and it was a Republican that got us out. The fact is there are enemy combatants trying to kill you and yours. Now we have to set rules in warfare that the enemy does not follow. How ridiculous is that. Should we have told the Nazis we just need to talk to you and listen to your grievances and understand why you need to exterminate six million Jews. You have been played by the peace-nicks of the 60's. War is War and now we have a hand tied behind our backs while the enemy can chop heads off with no one to stop them. We'll see if you still think the same when your under the Islamic Militant's sword.

Answer 4

The acts do NOT bypass the Constitution. Where is this idiocy coming from?

The law is a response to Supreme Court decisions giving enemy combatants protections they NEVER had for our entire prior history - the Congress is just trying to deal with those decisions.

The enemy has more protections now than in the past. Mints on pillows? Not yet. That will probably come next.

Are there really that many misguided people out there, to keep yelling that the sky is falling?

I fear for our nation if there are.

Answer 5

Wake up...this war is not a conflict with any legitimate army who follow any rules and morality means nothing. They keep their arms in private homes, they do not wear uniforms, they kill their own people, they blow themselves up to kill innocent people, they torture and behead and....they use the American people to spread their lies.

They do not deserve habeas corpus and they do not deserve to be treated like civilized people and they do not deserve the rights they do no grant others.

What do you want to do? Just play nice while they obliterate us?

Answer 6

Who knows

Answer 7

How did you get the idea that any of the Constitution has been bypassed?
You must not live in the USA.
Terrorists never had any rights under the constitution. Terrorists have no rights in any country.

Answer 8

Bush will be looked favorable upon in the history books, second only to Reagan.

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=irishdictator

Answer 9

A democrat will of course do the right thing

It's in the name

Answer 10

God help the FEMALE interns and pages!!