Some Americans have been encouraged to be suspicious of all international bodies and treaties, which I think is a pity, since those owe so much to the best you have produced.

“Are we there yet?”, Klynn’s child asks from the back seat. Schroedinger’s Mom replies “Maybe.” John Yoo says “I’m driving there as fast as I can!” (H.T. to Good Celery.)

I wonder about developing the meme that there is no such thing as America; America is the condition where men and women agree to live peacefully together under the rules that all are equal, all have ‘certain inalienable rights’, all have a duty to protect the rules that protect all (see ‘Constitution, U.S.’). Etc. Once you leave that condition, you are no longer a good, patriotic American. Under that scenario, Osama bin Laden can’t destroy America. Only we can. Bush and Yoo are doing their part.

Thank you in advance to anyone who responds.

Gonzales, after reviewing a legal brief from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, advised Bush verbally on Jan. 18, 2002, that he had authority to exempt the detainees from [Geneva] protections. Bush agreed, reversing a decades-old policy aimed in part at ensuring equal treatment for U.S. military detainees around the world

Posted that here and in a thread by Christy a few days ago. I was surprised at the lack of response…That concept of “equal treatment” is the foundation to upholding the Geneva Conventions. So, it tells you what Bush thinks of our men and women in uniform. HE DOES NOT CARE.

Have fun repugs maintaining service personnel with actions and arrogance like that. It is difficult enough to make the decision to join the armed services. To think you will be filleted like a fish and have to face the worst torture imaginable if caught, quite frankly, is not convincing to sign up to serve.

BTW everyone here at EW’s. Have been having interesting conversations with my son the last few days. He has to present a two minute persuasive argument in a class in two days. He is trying to decide between the importance of the MSM upholding their role as the fourth estate or the importance of adhering national policy to the Geneva Conventions. I’ll let him type the rest…

Hi EW posters, I’m “son of klynn.” Just wanted to know of the two topics my Mom mentioned in her introduction of me to all of you, which one would you find the MOST important? MSM as Fourth Estate or Upholding The Geneva Conventions? Now I will say, my Uncle served in Iraq for 4.5 years. I figured I could “local end” my points for either argument with his experience. bmaz, I hope you give your vote and perhaps your top two points you would want stated in a high school classroom to future voters. (BTW I had also considered the topic of upholding the Constitution/Rule Of Law in a Democratic Society. Throw that into the voting if anyone wants to.)

For instance, imagine if Pelosi ‘knows’ that Bush has had ‘full-spectrum’ electronic surveillance of all the Key Leadership going since 911, or so? Not to mention Media, Corporations, Judges, Lawyers, and his own Cabinet? Think about it – Bush is a Torturer – what Moral Synapses are left to stop him from Spying on US, too?

In an atmosphere like that hypothetical, as long as Bush keeps the patina of ‘Legality’ for his Programs, very few (intelligent) People would challenge him openly.

However, that’s not to suggest that behind the veneer of Law, all of Bush’s eager Henchpeople are busily stealing US blind.

To the contrary – behind that ‘false’ wall of Banana Republic OLC Pronouncements are thousands of Good Americans in Government – restrained out of Respect for a System they aren’t willing to invalidate by Breaking it to Fix it.

Once the Wall of Hoseshit UE Law is refuted, these folks will feel like Free Americans, again, able to Speak Out without Fear of Retaliation, from Bush’s Cloaked and Secret Spies.

I’ll bet the Only thing holding back Droves and Droves of Whistle-blowers is the Fear of getting disappeared, real or not. Bush doesn’t Lead People with Assurances of the Law, he Drives Fear into them with the Vagueness of His Unlimited Power.

In a POW situation – which may not be too far from the Truth for Pelosi, et al – the best survival advice is to ‘be the gray man’ – don’t stand out, either high or low, and attract attention to yourself.

Once the Fear of Retaliation goes away – meaning Congress and the Courts regain Effective Checks and Balances with the Executive – and Bush and his HenchPeople lose their Invisibility Cloak, then the Full Ugly is going to come rushing out – and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if the consensus long view becomes that the ‘gray man strategy’ was the correct one.

The tax audit rates of the largest companies are less than half what they were 20 years ago while more small and mid-size businesses are coming under scrutiny, according to an organization that monitors the Internal Revenue Service.

It looks to me as if section 2004 refers to co-operation with the ICCt in the form —

Oh Christ, later, later! I’ve said it before, and say it again, part of the strategy is to exhaust us.

The next president will not, however, be able to simply sign something to nullify this act. It will have to either be rescinded by superseding legislation or mooted by US joinder in and ratification of the ICC treaty/agreement.