in the business of murder, an all-too-telling choice, and the business of crime...

this nation has come a long way since those liberal loonies tried to give away the government's most sacred rights - like execution without trial, jailing without charges, disappearing folks, prior restraint, suppressing the vote...you know, the stuff that makes a country run smoothly and without any voice of opposition or anything like that pesky freedom to muck up the system or create wealth - now, thank god, not only can we rest easily knowing that the president will read your mail on any given day for any given reason while he listens to your phone calls and reviews how many times you checked out "perfect 10" from the local library, anyone can be imprisoned for eternity without a trial, an attorney, or even being told why, but we are officially and openly in the business of murdering people half a world away on the off chance they may be secretly harboring some ill-will towards the president and his like. seriously...who ever thought a ban on assasinations was a good thing? I mean, without nations being able to arbitrarily kill civilians and leaders of other nations, how do ever expect this world to reach its civilized potential? we've all seen how much progress the european (and now american) meddling in the affairs of other "uncivilized" peoples across the world has led to...hell, the Iraqis got to taunt and hang a man on candid camera for all to see within a month of his trial. that could not have been possible without the british (who we are rightfully heir to) hadn't arbitrarily drawn lines and included ancient enemies in one nation and then handed it over to an outsider as monarch because they had already promised him (and the french...and the jews) palestine and had to give him something. and nothing says progress like taunting a man on his way to execution. we have taught them well.

so let the kids back in the yard when a darker skinned man with a funny accent and headgear walks through the neighborhood...because his operation will no doubt be crippled by gun ships firing on suspects a half a world away. god bless america.

bush has a new lawyer...fred fielding...seriously, this is not a joke. it makes perfect sense that this president would need the counsel of a man involved in two of the best presidential scandals the republicans ever cooked up...watergate and iran-contra. there is only one logical conclusion to draw...given the complete ineptitude of this administration in covering up its bumbling and illegal activities it only makes sense that bush look to a man who obviously was too bumbling too successfully cover up illegal activities in the past. if there is one thing the jackass occupying the oval office has taught us...it is that he loves an idea that has already been unsuccessfully tried over and over. congrats mr. fielding on your new appointment...for a minute I was worried the sewage-like smell eminating from washington ethics might be dissipating...but your new boss has assured me that is not the case.

law enforcement and prison is big business in this country...which is exactly why we go about fighting crime in exactly the wrong manner. mandatory tougher sentences have done nothing but lead to higher crime rates, rampant drug use, and more violent crime. and finally folks are starting to listen to those of us and those in robes who have been screaming at the top of our lungs that draconian, racist and classist sentencing laws are un-American (assuming "American" would be defined by little things like the inalienable right to life, liberty and property...due process...you know, the stuff we are trying to get away from...but just ignore that for a moment...I've pointed it out a million times before...our sentencing laws only serve to cost you shitloads of money while ensuring that minorities stay where they belong). even republicans are beginning to jump on the bandwagon. so perhaps we will see some changes...although the president would undoubtedly write into the bill that his administration can trump the congress on everything, including sentencing...or just go around it and forego the pesky trial in the first place since habeas is dead.

we just won't be defeated...