I find it interesting that the lockdown in Boston during the manhunt for the remaining bomb suspect did not result in finding and arresting him. It took a citizen who noticed something wrong and reported it.
And can someone explain to me why some Dunkin' Donuts can remain open despite the alleged danger that shut down everything else? If it's safe for them, why isn't it safe for anyone else?
Try Not to Sing Along
2 months ago
11 comments:
Fate works in strange ways often times. DD was open to serve the law. They were the only people on the street.
Like coaching, when your decision works out your a hero. When if fails, your the goat.
If Obama is going to stretch the public safety exception to Miranda beyond minutes to days (weeks, months, decades?), shouldn't he have to get an approval from a court for the exception? Why can't the exceptional interrogation take place in front of a judge who can end it?
Why is the military involved with interrogation, and how is that involvement allowed by the Constitution?
I propose that if the government has time to eat more than one doughnut before urgent public safety questions they have time to read the fifth and sixth amendments.
Now a White House spokesperson is saying there will be federal charges in civilian court, but still no charges have been brought, not even the most obvious. If the suspect gets to his feet, is he free to go?
Obama's dithering and delays are undermining his correct decision to prosecute in court. This punk steadily accrues credible appeals without any lawyer assisting him.
Obama can't have it both ways--if "enemy combatant" doesn't fit (and it doesn't) then the government can't pick and choose which rights the suspect gets.
Some lawyer should file a habeus on the Tsarnaev's behalf for the hell of it.
If a Boston federal judge went to the hospital and demanded to see the suspect, would the military bar the judge?
There is an unnecessary constitutional crisis brewing here. Normal procedure can handle this case.
The suspect has been charged. Thank God.
Speaking of charges, now would be a politic time to charge Bush, Cheney, and company with torture and, in some cases, murder. They are getting rather cocky as of late, number one. But charges would be a counterweight to the triumphalism of catching the Boston bombers, the new plot that DHS is claiming to have foiled, and the hunger strike at Gitmo.
Despite the relief expressed by some (eg the ever-smirking Rodriguez) in this crowd over statutes of limitations, there can be a lot of discretion in these charges as well as providing these anti-American terrorists for international prosecution.
Cheney and Tsarnaev, sharing a cell. Sweet.
Cheney has already confessed, so forget Miranda and a trial, right?
Security writer Bruce Schneier uses the excellent phrase "security theater" to describe these kinds of actions. The kinds of things that are meant to make it look like the authorities are Doing Something, without actually increasing safety.
Note that, though they don't make us more safe, they do cost us billions a year in tax money and lost productivity and pose a real threat to our civil rights.
I'm reminded at times like this of the Politician's Syllogism:
Something Must Be Done
This is Something
Therefore This Must Be Done
It's a movie and Kathryn Bigelow is directing. The budget is limitless, and there are a million extras. Catered, of course.
Makes you almost nostalgic for the Rambo-style plots where one half-naked man pumps up and takes on the world. Now our heroes are kevlar-clad armies and robots. Our "enemies" Macgyver bombs from underwear and pressure cookers, or refuse to eat supper. They wear bro caps or thin cloth and sandals, or orange jumpsuits and chains. Not exactly the Red Army we're facing here.
By the way, New York City's finest took the opportunity of the standing ovation distraction in Boston to announce no criminal charges for police violence against Occupy. Most of that violence was committed by high-level "white shirt" officer and captured on video.
Would make a great film, but they don't make that kind of movie anymore.
Although, those guys in sandals did beat the Red Army, with our help. And then they beat us, last time I checked, Zero Dark Thirty notwithstanding.
Bigelow's oeuvre already looks jingoistic and dated. Hollywood's gwot output is embarrassing. I think the nadir was watching Arkin and Goodman's sycophantic mugging in Argo. Worst best picture of all time, a fascinating story reduced to an homage to Affleck as a front for Hollywood's ego. Talk about a beard. And oh yeah, the CIA were the GOOD guys in Iran. Speaking of beards, the same sort of anachronistic revisionism even mars Spielberg's Lincoln, despite great performances (we like you Sally...). But Spielberg should have just gone ahead and cast Obama as Lincoln. Day-Lewis can play anyone, so he could take over the White House. Maybe we'd have gun control.
Hey they did kind of make "that kind of movie" in the Hunger Games, safely walled off in a fantasy fashion world. But the real gwot-ers are more powerfully "based on real events," even though they are nearly as fictional. Actually, our reality is based on the movies.
Oh, and Arkin and Goodman are two of the best actors of our time, Goodman gave all kinds of weary weight to Kevin Smith's surprising Red State, a sneaky exception to the GWOT standard of unnuanced dreck.
Gun control, now now now!
Hollywood is dead. Pop music is more democratic. Macklemore has a good line going.
Speaking of fantasy, I bought the LOTR religion in Fellowship (2001) We're good and they're evil. Count me in! Liv Tyler is a pale elvish hotty, get the girl Viggo!
By Return of the King (2003), I'm kind of wondering if the wildmen, the dudes in the burkas, and especially the tatooed Maori types on those beautiful doomed Oliphants might not have a legitimate beef with the fellowship of the wiling. And who died and made Viggo KING, anyway. I even felt sorry for the orcs. The fighting UruKai just looked like exploited university defensive linemen. Or marines.
Of course in 2003 Bush had invaded Iraq, and turns out the great WMD (the big kind) was just fantasy. It's like we had invaded Mordor, but discovered Sauron was actually the great and terrible Oz, who was actually a shyster from Kansas, and who was actually, well, you and me. Turns out we thought we were victims, but, actually we were doing the killing, the torturing. At least most of it. We had the WMD (big and small). Frodo was Gollum all along.
Imho, the film that somewhat captured our delusional disconnect was the documentary Restrepo, even though it made during the "good" war in Afghanistan.
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