483 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 33 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds   

The scaffolding of an American police state

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   1 comment

Bill van Auken
Message Bill van Auken

Crossposted at the World Socialist Website

 

With his December 31 signing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), allowing for indefinite military detention without charges or trial, Barack Obama has made an infamous contribution to the steady march towards police-state dictatorship in the United States.

The sweeping implications of this act, pushed through to provide $662 billion to feed the US war machine, could not be concealed by the shamefaced signing ceremony, held in private and late in the day on New Year's Eve to minimize media coverage and public attention.

Nor is the objective content of the clauses legalizing the military's locking up of American citizens and non-citizens alike on the sole say-so of the White House changed in the slightest by the hypocritical signing statement the president issued in enacting the legislation.

Claiming "serious reservations" about the law he was enacting, Obama declared that "my Administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of US citizens." He allowed that such a practice would "break with our most important traditions and values as a nation."

Obama's pledge is as duplicitous as it is worthless. As one of the legislation's key Democratic sponsors, Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, revealed, the Obama White House intervened directly into the legislative process to kill amendments that would have specifically prohibited the military from indefinitely imprisoning US citizens without trial. It viewed such an exemption as an unacceptable restriction on presidential power.

Click Here to Read Whole Article

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Interesting 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Bill Van Auken Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Bill Van Auken (born 1950) is a politician and activist for the Socialist Equality Party and was a presidential candidate in the U.S. election of 2004, announcing his candidacy on January 27, 2004. His running mate was Jim Lawrence. He came in 15th (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Ex-US President Indicts Obama as Assassin

Obama, Congress Back Legalization of a Police State

US media blacks out Snowden interview exposing death threats

US Secret Armies Gear Up for Global War

Obama Justice Department indicts ex-CIA agent for exposing torture

After Announcing "normalization" with Cuba, Obama Slaps Sanctions on Venezuela

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend