Prison without charges or trial. Any thoughts? Is it good or bad?

Question

I recently became aware of these videos on youtube.com about the President's signing of the Military Commissions Act that effectively kills habeas corpus. This Latin phrase was what required the police to charge you withing 48 hours of arresting you and allowing you to challenge the fact that you're being held.

With the signing of the Military Commissions Act, anybody labeled as an 'enemy combatant' can be held, without charges or a trial, indefinitely.

The problem here is that anybody can be labeled an 'enemy combatant'. How? Simple. They state that the reason you are considered an enemy combatant is a matter of national security and as such it is classified information.

This all happened back in October. Why haven't I seen anything about this other than the two youtube videos I'll provide the URLs to? Why was this allowed to occur? Why isn't anybody doing anything about this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtwNvrlIieY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK40f6E8XQ8

Kinda scary...

I'd like to take this time to add this:

Please don't answer this question without viewing the videos. You won't get the full story unless you view them.

Answer 1

I heard about it shortly before it actually passed the Senate, and I am amazingly unhappy about it. My local newspaper ran several stories and political cartoons on the story. But I saw very little about it on the "Liberal" television stations.

The President of the United States can label any person, regardless of citizenship, an enemy combatant, where he or she may be held indefinitely, tortured, denied legal council, denied the ability to contact family members, deported to a foreign country(yes, Natural Born Citizens can now be deported), Tried, convicted, and punished by Military Tribunal, under a "Code of Justice" where they are guilty until proven innocent, and possibility even executed. All this with out disclosing any "evidence" to the "accused".

Emperor Bush was able to pass yet another bill before the Democrats took over. Is it any wonder the November elections went the way they did.

Answer 2

Kinda is not the word! It is disgusting. Americans have sometimes had the distinction of conveniently disregarding the constitution, and backing an idea that goes against all that we have labored to achieve.

Bad. Very bad. Due process is something that can no longer be an American virtue. Some, especially conservatives will argue that it is for the benefit of the country. We must guard against terrorism at all costs. It smacks of the same narrow mindedness of the MacArthur hearings when our ever-so-vigilant government was keeping a watchful eye, molding public opinion in the direction that would make them the most money, give them the most power, and broker legacies of greed and corruption throughout decades of American history.

Answer 3

I agree with you that this could be a very dangerous law, and it is certainly open for abuse, how ever if they would out put a clause in this law that said who signed the bill to have some one locked up under this law had to have evidence to the fact, and if it was abused the signer would be held criminally responsible,that should alleviate some of the danger, however if some one is accused of being a terrorist and against our country especially if he is a citizen of this country then to hell with him"if guilty"
contrary to popular belief , only U,S, citizens enjoy protection under our constitution,

Answer 4

It's bad and he is out of control.
how about the Noahide laws he has sopposed to have signed in?