Thursday, December 22, 2011

Everyone's "the Enemy"

At Bradley Manning's court-martial hearing, his lawyer said something pretty naive:
Aiding the enemy is an offense that could bring the death penalty but the prosecution has said it intends to seek life in prison for Manning. Coombs said the prosecution needed a "reality check" and focused his closing remarks on urging them to seek no more than 30 years in prison.

Coombs asked the court to throw out charges of aiding the enemy and giving intelligence to the enemy, saying the audience for the information was the American people.
Why does Lawyer Coombs try to draw an artificial distinction between "the enemy" and "the American people," especially given the National Defense Authorization Act for 2012, which certainly makes it clear that there's no such distinction? Prexy can toss anybody he wants, explicitly including American citizens grabbed right here in America, into the clink forever -- no trial needed.

These goons aren't hanging out in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Pakistan ... they're right in your back yard, and they're just itching to deal with you. So do what the nice officer tells you, and if he's not screaming at you yet, just dummy up until he orders you to speak -- if you know what's good for you, that is.

O Free-est Country Anywhere!

4 comments:

Phil Marx said...

Can you install a "like" button here for those times when I can't think of anything clever to say in response to your fabulous posts?

Jim Wetzel said...

Phil, you're much too kind. And I thank you.

Mimi said...

Merry Christmas, Jim, and thank you for fighting the good fight.

Jim Wetzel said...

Mimi, you too are much too kind, and I thank you, also.