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Octafish

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48. How the US Government Betrayed the Constitution and Invented an Imaginary Fascist One

Fri Dec 18, 2015, 04:22 PM

Dec 2015

by Juan Cole
Informed Comment, Oct. 24, 2013

The idea of having a strong Federal government was controversial in the early United States, and one of the ways Federalists reassured Americans that it wouldn’t become tyrannical was to append a Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

If a sheriff in a small town arrested a shoplifter and waterboarded him 54 times, the sheriff would go to jail. Federal officials? Not so much.

That attempt to prevent despotism has failed, because the Federal government and its various agencies have set aside the Bill of Rights as a dead letter, substituted for them a bizarre set of interpretations of law, and either avoid having the courts adjudicate their fascist fantasies or managed to have appointed to the bench unethical or authoritarian judges that will uphold virtually anything they do.

How corrupt our system has become is evident when even the New Yorker emphasizes that a secret Senate report found that torture in the Bush years was “unnecessary” and “ineffective.” Not that it was “unconstitutional.”

SNIP...

Coercive cruelty. Coercive cruelty was the hallmark of treatment of Federal detainees in the Bush era. That was what Abu Ghraib, Bagram and Guantanamo were about. Some prisoners were likely victims of manslaughter by coercive cruelty (it is hard to know when to stop).

CONTINUED...

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/10/24-5

Connect the dots and it forms a straight line through Cheney and Bush and the heart of corruption.

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Juan Cole: Top 10 Signs the US Is the Most Corrupt Country in the World [View all] eridani Dec 2015 OP

K&R valerief Dec 2015 #1

Gulag USA - 2.2 million prisoners in jail and penitentiary 99th_Monkey Dec 2015 #2

There are lots of countries far, far more corrupt than the US Yorktown Dec 2015 #3

The US legislative process is rotten to its core. ronnie624 Dec 2015 #5

The definitions are fluid. $$$ wise the U.S.A. tops all. hunter Dec 2015 #7

What utter bullshit. Snobblevitch Dec 2015 #9

What has always annoyed me the most about our politicians is how cheap they sell out. bemildred Dec 2015 #10

I do not think you know the world well Yorktown Dec 2015 #12

I've lived outside the U.S.A. and have visited quite a few nations... hunter Dec 2015 #19

Ever been to Azerbaijan? n/t Act_of_Reparation Dec 2015 #21

Um... um. hunter Dec 2015 #32

Oh, I see. Act_of_Reparation Dec 2015 #33

Hunter shoots, he scores! hunter Dec 2015 #38

Oh, please. Act_of_Reparation Dec 2015 #39

Oh please. I'm drunk and I'm mocking you. hunter Dec 2015 #51

Your last paragraph describes quite a few countries. geek tragedy Dec 2015 #31

And for a little balance... MattSh Dec 2015 #8

I think a lot of them are donation rackets too. nt bemildred Dec 2015 #11

Other countries have a higher perception of corruption. But the OP talks about invisible corruption. femmedem Dec 2015 #14

Right. Invisible forces at work. Yorktown Dec 2015 #18

Try University of California Press Octafish Dec 2015 #24

I read one of the stories Yorktown Dec 2015 #27

Thank You RobinA Dec 2015 #35

Oh that's rich. a la izquierda Dec 2015 #37

I Witnessed RobinA Dec 2015 #47

8. NSA Domestic Spying Octafish Dec 2015 #4

Good insight. Wouldn't have thought of that, but you're absolutely right. closeupready Dec 2015 #23

Because that never, ever goes on in other countries... Blue_Tires Dec 2015 #40

It's not supposed to go on in Democracies. Octafish Dec 2015 #44

Name a democracy where it doesn't occur Blue_Tires Dec 2015 #49

Elections are about who gets the lions share of the booty. Fuddnik Dec 2015 #6

Perfectly right - Our citizenry are victims of predator capitalists. And our government protects the djean111 Dec 2015 #13

I think this sign of corruption is especially significant: raccoon Dec 2015 #15

Must mention or my fist will break: I brought that up in September 2008 Octafish Dec 2015 #16

First two are never truer words. Didn't read the rest. lonestarnot Dec 2015 #17

Kick for Democracy. Octafish Dec 2015 #20

+1. I have a good, hearty laugh during the news cycles where "most corrupt state" indices closeupready Dec 2015 #22

K&R for exposure. JEB Dec 2015 #25

Actually, Trump did say his taxes should go up Qutzupalotl Dec 2015 #26

He is so right. ananda Dec 2015 #28

utter bullshit Amishman Dec 2015 #29

I am sorry to bring facts into the discussion iandhr Dec 2015 #30

Our country, our world, is only as corrupt as people make it. raouldukelives Dec 2015 #34

Ubetcha...!! (eom) CanSocDem Dec 2015 #36

Over-the-top hyperbole like this only serves to discredit legit leftist arguments... Blue_Tires Dec 2015 #41

Riiiight. Like the time Washington swore up and down Saddam had WMDs. Octafish Dec 2015 #42

So the United States is the MOST corrupt nation on the goddamned PLANET? Blue_Tires Dec 2015 #43

Curse all you want. It shows how little your argument holds. Octafish Dec 2015 #45

Actually, my argument is quite solid Blue_Tires Dec 2015 #50

k and r and bookmarking for later. niyad Dec 2015 #46

How the US Government Betrayed the Constitution and Invented an Imaginary Fascist One Octafish Dec 2015 #48