Germane Chomsky Article

http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20090521.htm
Obama and his ultra, fascist, right wing, American President policies. But, as Steven Colbert put it, "but, he makes the kids like it." This is Noam's key line here: "Small wonder that the President advises us to look forward, not backward -- a convenient doctrine for those who hold the clubs. Those who are beaten by them tend to see the world differently, much to our annoyance."

The Children of Gitmo

In a submission to the UN in May, the Pentagon said that no more than eight youths, aged 13 to 17 at time of capture, were held at Guantánamo Bay. But a prisoner list released in 2006 in response to US freedom of information act litigation names 21 inmates under 18 when they arrived. A separate defence department admission brings the total to 22. Testimonies collected by the charity Reprieve, which represents 30 inmates at Guantánamo, indicate the actual number is much higher.

Guantánamo's child prisoners came from all over the world: they were Afghan, Yemeni, Saudi, Russian, Uighuri, and Canadian. Five of them are still there. They are: Mohammed el Gharani, aged 14-15 when he was seized while praying in a Karachi mosque; Hassan bin Attash, aged 16-17 when seized in Pakistan, and rendered to Jordan where he endured 16 months of torture before being transferred; Faris Muslim Al Ansari, an Afghan-Yemeni who was 17 when captured; Mohamed Jawad, an Afghan who was 17 when seized and faces trial by military commission; and Omar Khadr.

Saudi citizen Yasser Talal Al Zahrani, 17 when captured, joined a prison-wide hunger strike in 2005. He was found dead in his cell in June 2006 after apparently killing himself. - Guardian

+1 for freedom! Not...

Academic Application: 9/20/07

Yesterday, Glen reported that the Senate has decided not to restore habeas corpus rights to the Guantánamo Bay detainees. Wait, habeas corpus? Isn't that Latin? I don't take that class!
But I do take Government and Politics, where we learned the meaning of that phrase...

ha·be·as corpus (hā'bē-əs)
n.

One of a variety of writs that may be issued to bring a party before a court or judge, having as its function the release of the party from unlawful restraint.

So, the question is, can the government take away the right of habeas corpus? From suspected terrorists, yes. But wait, if the government can take habeas corpus away from the Gitmo prisoners, they can take it away from anyone, right? A post I made yesterday mentioned the President's desire to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists. If he can do that, he can eavesdrop on anyone, right? And hundreds of thousands of people have seen this video of a guy getting tasered after asking John Kerry a bunch of stupid questions.

Is America slowly becoming an Orwellian society, in which the government can take away our rights to privacy, trial, and free speech? As long as her people are vocal about their support of human rights, no. Speak your mind. If you like having rights, let the people in power know.

Writ of Habeas Corpus Denied Restoration

Human rights supporters -- and we'd like to know who isn't one -- needed 60 votes in the Senate today to restore habeas corpus rights to detainees the United States is holding at Guantánamo Bay. They got 56.

- From "One Thousand Reasons"

Is it okay to detain unlawful combatants that pose a threat to the security of our nation? Is this especially permissible during war?