The irony in American history

Glenn Greenwald noticed and wrote about a bit of this with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan:

It is ironic indeed that the US is demanding that the practice of due-process-free indefinite detention be continued in Afghanistan and Iraq, two countries it invaded and then occupied while claiming it wanted to bring freedom and democracy there. But on one level, this is the only outcome that makes sense, as a denial of basic due process is now a core, defining US policy in general.

Indeed, the Nobel Laureate, whenever he acts as Commander in Chief of America’s security-surveillance apparatus and when he governs its global empire, can claim and use prerogative powers to achieve his ends. Simply put, the rule of law does not apply to him when operating in this domain.

To be sure, the Nobel Laureate and proposed conscience of the nation defends its lawless powers:

The Obama administration not only continues to imprison people without charges of any kind, but intended from the start to do so even if their plan to relocate Guantanamo onto US soil had not been thwarted by Congress. At the end of 2011, President Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act which codifies the power of indefinite detention even for US citizens, and — after an Obama-appointed federal judge struck it down as unconstitutional — continues vigorously to fight for that law. And, of course, the power to assassinate even its own citizens without a whiff of due process or transparency — the policy that so upset Afghan officials when it was proposed for their country — is a crowning achievement of the Obama legacy.

With the Great Betrayal at hand, a deed only a Democratic President can commit, I can confidently assert that Barack Obama is proving to be a worthy competitor for the Worst President in History prize.

Related articles

• Karzai May Be Kicking Obama Out Of Afghanistan Soon (businessinsider.com)
• US battles Iraq and Afghanistan over detention without charges | Glenn Greenwald (guardian.co.uk)
• Nobel Prize: A tale of ignoble peace laureates (EndtheLie.com)
• Texas Bills Would Nullify NDAA’s Indefinite Detention, TSA’s Intrusive Screening (thenewamerican.com)
• Court upholds NDAA; stay extended on indefinite detention injunction (sott.net)
• A contrast of 2 Nobel Peace Prize winners (indybay.org)
• Federal Court: OK With Indefinite Detention of American Citizens (freedomoutpost.com)
• See You in Camp? (lewrockwell.com)