Comments on: Filipino Monkey … Borat … Same Difference

By: phred

phred — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:45:42 +0000

Barbarians. How is it possible the “culture of life” crowd only cares about unborn life. Apparently, after that first deep breath, you’re on your own and God save you if the goons get you, ’cause you’re not a person and you have no rights.

By: bmaz

bmaz — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:18:10 +0000

And we took out Sadaam Hussein because he was a bad man? As far as I can tell, were are responsible for as many deaths, whether through combat or that would otherwise not have died, since we invaded Iraq as Sadaam is alleged to have killed in the entire time he was in power. Add to that all the torture, renditions, illegal detentions, the violation of rights etc.; you get a view in which we are very arguably worse than he was. When you factor in the scale of our oppressive and negative effects, I’m not sure it is even close.

By: masaccio

masaccio — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:09:08 +0000

We are a rogue nation.

By: bmaz

bmaz — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:23:30 +0000

Hey, here is a good one, ~~INS~~ ICE, at the direction of wingnut Gooper Julie Myers, has been effectively shooting up illegal Mexicans and other aliens with LSD in order to “facilitate” their deportation. From the Arizona Republic:

Immigration officials have acknowledged that 56 deportees were given psychotropic drugs during a seven-month period in 2006 and 2007 even though most had no history of mental problems. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit over the practice in June.

An internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo issued Wednesday and obtained Friday by The Associated Press said that effective immediately, agents must get a court order before administering drugs “to facilitate an alien’s removal.”
…
The ACLU sued the agency to stop the practice, alleging it could constitute torture and violates the Bill of Rights and federal laws regarding the medical treatment of detainees.
…

Amadou Diouf, one of two plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said late Friday he was relieved that forced sedation would cease. Diouf, 32, alleges he was injected with psychotropic drugs in 2006 in a plane that was to return him to his native Senegal.

“It was hard for me to believe they would drug people,” said Diouf, who was ordered deported for overstaying a student visa. “It happened to me, and under the circumstances, it wasn’t necessary.”

Diouf said escorting ICE agents gave him the injection after he asked to speak with the plane’s pilot to tell him that he had a judge’s order temporarily staying his deportation.

Senate testimony last year revealed that 33 of 56 deportees involuntarily given psychotropic drugs had no history of psychological problems. They were given the medicine because of “combative behavior,” said Julie Myers, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

What in the world have we become?

By: bmaz

bmaz — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:54:45 +0000

That was always a bunch of crap; it always meant strict interpretation of what our fellow pukes want…

By: phred

phred — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:49:37 +0000

Fabulous. Now with the Supreme Court stacked as well, I am not at all confident that they will overturn this. Whatever happened to that “strict interpretation of the Constitution” crap the Federalist crowd was always on about. Not so much, I guess.

By: masaccio

masaccio — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:38:33 +0000

It’s absolutely true that if you were going to rule that plaintiffs had to exhaust administrative remedies, it would take a couple of paragraphs.

The part about the religious freedom restoration act is equally embarrassing as an intellectual matter. Aliens aren’t persons, at least when they’re in Guantanamo. Because, the US doesn’t have sovereignty over that lease.

By: bmaz

bmaz — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:36:42 +0000

The DC Circuit has been stocked, rather completely, with wingnut Federalist Society types byt the Reagan and both Bush Administrations. It is absolutely horrid, with only a few exceptions.

By: phred

phred — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:15:51 +0000

Thanks bmaz. So what’s wrong with the rest of the DC Circuit? This is just stunning to me that a court, any court, in the United States can give a pass to torture.

By: bmaz

bmaz — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:37:27 +0000

Shouldn’t that be a void action though; because a clearly illegal and criminal act cannot be within the course and scope? As to the Admin exhaustion bit, don’t waste your time, your curiosity isn’t worth the effort to really lock down the right answer, and there would be a lot of things you would have to cross check. But, I’ll grant that point for argument; still don’t know why they needed to spend 30+ pages of saying the torture regime is AOK. Could have bounced on the no exhaustion of admin remedies in 4 pages including the caption and appearances.