Monthly Archives: August 2006

Olbermann on Rumsfeld

From Crooks & Liars, thanks to Brian:

Keith [Olbermann] had some very choice words about Rumsfeld’s “fascism” comments tonight. Watch it, save it and share it.

Olbermann delivered this commentary with fire and passion while highlighting how Rumsfeld’s comments echoes other times in our world’s history when anyone who questioned the administration was coined as a traitor, unpatriotic, communist or any other colorful term. Luckily we pulled out of those times and we will pull out of these times.

Video and transcript are both available at C&L.  It’s an absolute must-read (or watch).  Spread it as wide as you can.

Thing a Week One available

I implore you to rush out and purchase Jonathan Coulton’s latest CD, Thing a Week One.  Specifically I’d recommend getting it in old-fashioned CD form, because it comes with exciting new artwork and liner notes from John Hodgman.  It’s the first of four soon-to-be-released discs compiling all the Thing a Week songs I’ve raved about, and it can’t help but be a collector’s item.   Or something.  Besides, it’s only ten bucks.

federal court strikes down warrantless wiretapping

Finally some good news!

A federal judge ruled Thursday that the government’s warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered an immediate halt to it.

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit became the first judge to strike down the National Security Agency’s program, which she says violates the rights to free speech and privacy.

More information and a detailed analysis available from Glenn Greenwald. Let’s hope this sticks!

a post with no name

I’ve been trying to come up with a decent summary of why this article on the release of a “suspected terrorist” five years after his arrest depresses me, but I can’t seem to get beyond the obvious “Sixth Amendment in tatters” or hand-wringing “what are we doing here?” arguments.

What really gets me is how accepting we (or at least the media) have been of suspending our core values indefinitely because we’re A Nation At War. A man was arrested and held without any charges for five years, and there’s hardly a peep when he’s released. Have we really become a nation of cowering victims, willing to accept the “protection” of a police state no matter what principles it violates? Better yet, what can we do to get past all the war-talk and start treating crimes like crimes, subject to the rule of law?