Politics

The Iraqi government was elected while a few hundred thousand or so foreign troops moved around their country shooting and blowing up anything that moved. Is that how we envision democracy at work?

Americans don’t get that our dreams of Democracy are not necessarily the Democratic ideals that Iraqi’s envision. There are underlying ideologies which lead to a sectarian division. When I say I am an American, it is not inclusive of a religious doctrine. The election was held. Now the American Ambassador issued a warning stating that we are not going to use our resources to support sectarian goals.

I would think that the continued chaos keeps most Iraqis freaked out enough stay in their houses if they can. The kidnapping of foreigners keeps other onlookers away because of fear. The Death Squads stifle meaningful opposition. The suicide and car bombings churn the civil upheaval between the Shittes and Sunni.

Speaking after talks with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who echoed the U.S. ambassador’s call for a government of national unity, the normally calm and diplomatic Jaafari, a Shi’ite Islamist, said Iraq knew its own best interests.

“When someone asks us whether we want a sectarian government the answer is ‘no we do not want a sectarian government’ — not because the U.S. ambassador says so or issues a warning,” he told a news conference.

“We do not need anybody to remind us, thank you.” Reuters

Friday, the governor of the province of Karbala in the Shiite south announced that he was suspending all dealings with American troops and barring them from government buildings for “behaving irresponsibly.” IHT

Hello, do you hear butt out . . .

Enough is enough. Where the heck does Bush or anybody else get off saying that the President has “Constitutional War Time Powers”. Hello? Nowhere in The Constitution does it say anything about “wartime powers” for anyone, anywhere.

Repeated and repeated, over and over again, the “wartime authority” claims are close to, if not, propaganda. The President wants his actions excused as being necessary to keep America safe, to protect us from the terrorists and terrorist attacks.

Why do some of Americans believe it? Because they have not taken the time to educate themselves and read the Constitution. Here for the lazy is Constitution 101:

To be considered “wartime” a declared state of war would have to exist.

The Constitution gives only Congress the authority to declare war.

Congress has declared no war (a resolution to use force is not a declaration of war).

No declaration – no state of war – no wartime powers.

The Supreme Court has the final authority on what is or is not Constitutional. Two times a President has taken action declaring “Constitutional wartime authority”. Both times the Supreme Court ruled the President does not. In Ex Parte Milligan the court ruled Lincoln’s suspension of Habeus Corpus under the guise of “Presidential wartime authority” was an unconstitutional act and in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co v Sawyer Truman claimed he had a Constitutional Duty to protect Americans and needed contol over the steel industry to Protect America because a strike was hurting the Korean war effort.

What matters is the powers and authority of the Executive branch are spelled out in Article II Section 2 of the Constitution. Still don’t believe me? Read the relevant section of the Constitution below and while you are reading remember the 10th amendment, you know the one where – powers not delegated to the government, which includes the President, do not exist as far as the government is concerned. Powers not delegated belong to the people and/or the states.

Article II Section 2 of the Constitution

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

“Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today’s media age, but for the most part we, our country, our government, has not,” Rumsfeld said in remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He said that while the al Qaeda terrorist network and other “extremist” movements “have successfully . . . poisoned the Muslim public’s view of the West, we in the government have barely even begun to compete in reaching their audiences.”

He also called for creating 24-hour media operations centers and “multifaceted media campaigns” using the Internet, blogs and satellite television that “will result in much less reliance on the traditional print press.” Washington Post

This caught my attention. Rumsfeld wants to create “multifaceted media campaigns” using the Internet, blogs and satellite television. Immediate reaction; propaganda. You know what I think about that.

Moving on, just how have the al Qaeda and extremist networks poisoned the Muslim public’s view of us? I would really like to know. Have I missed some coverage, is there a plethora of blogs or satellite news services that I have missed. There is Aljazeera. Off I go on another internet search. I come up with Sabbah’s blog. Taken from his about me section: he is an Electronics & Communication Engineer from Birla Institute of Technology, born in Kuwait on April, 2nd, 1969. and a Jordanian national with Palestinian origins.

Here is a man across the globe that is questioning the same things that I a woman in the Untied States is. Our frames of reference are different but our subject matter is the same. Although Sabbah is a much better writer and deeper thinker than I will ever be.

Is Rumsfeld is worried about this. That with a few clicks of my mouse I can delve into the global voices, the global public opinion on any subject. I can get a glimpse into other peoples takes on life and my country. If used wisely, blogging is the anti-propaganda. I do not believe that by reading someone else’s opinions on any subject will poison my moral beliefs, I find it hard to believe that this would be any different for a Muslim. I do not read something and automatically believe it to be true. My perspective comes from my existence in my small little world. My upbringing and influences of my friends and family.

The violent extremist have established ‘media relations committees’, they know that communications transcend borders and they are able to act quickly at the most opportune time. The US government press offices must be able to respond faster in a 24-hour news cycle that takes in e-mail, blogs, instant messaging, digital cameras, a global internet, cell phones and satellite television. Source: montersandcritics.com

“You see, U.S. administration always said that “if you are not with us, you are against us.” So, anyone and everyone who do not agree with Bush administration is ultimately a terrorist?! Is this how the U.S. administration refers to us? I hope not, but no one can tell where they place us.”
From Sabbah’s Blog

We can all relax now, there is a global Internet, Rumsfeld is going to tap into it and our country will be safe from terrorism.