I'll give you a hint: It was around the year 2000…
http://www.nytimes.com/…
On Monday, Michael Moss wrote about a U.S. contractor who was swept up in a military raid and dumped into a system where everyone is presumed guilty and denied any chance to prove otherwise.
Donald Vance, a 29-year-old Navy veteran from Chicago, was a whistle-blower who prompted the raid by tipping off the F.B.I. to suspicious activity at the company where he worked, including possible weapons trafficking. He was arrested and held for 97 days — shackled and blindfolded, prevented from sleeping by blaring music and round-the-clock lights. In other words, he was subjected to the same mistreatment that thousands of non-Americans have been subjected to since the 2003 invasion.
Even after the military learned who Mr. Vance was, they continued to hold him in these abusive conditions for weeks more. He was not allowed to defend himself at the Potemkin hearing held to justify his detention. And that was special treatment. As an American citizen, he was at least allowed to attend his hearing. An Iraqi, or an Afghani, or any other foreigner, would have been barred from the room.
This is not the handiwork of a few out-of-control sadists at Abu Ghraib. This is a system that was created and operated outside American law and American standards of decency. Except for the few low-ranking soldiers periodically punished for abusing prisoners, it is a system without any accountability.
Where do we sign up for the revolution? Imagine having this happen to you…as an American citizen, WITH NO RIGHTS! You have no rights. None…the government doesn't care to even pretend anymore…I'm lucky I'm still here writing this, I guess. I wonder how long until the camps are online and accepting new clients…
At least people are starting to wake up:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/12/21/12969/
SCARBOROUGH: Well, this is uncharted territory. And Josh Green, I want you, if you will, to imagine, how would Republicans have responded if President Bill Clinton had ignored the advice of all of his Joint Chiefs, his top general in the war zone, his former secretary of state, and 80 percent of Americans? Is it not a stretch to say that many Republicans would have considered impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton if this situation were identical?
JOSH GREEN, “THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY”: I think they would have launched a coupe. It probably would have been—probably would have been centered at Fox News. They‘d be going crazy, the way, you know, frankly, quite a few of them are beginning to get with Bush.
Ok…lets take a step back to 2000. Bush was an idiot. We all knew it (ok, half the country knew it…versus, what, 75% these days?). I wrote terrible letters to the White House explaining to them how little I thought of them wasting billions of this gigantic army of ours as well as this Star Wars 2 that Bush was pushing at the time. Bush said retarded things, was obviously in the pocket of big business, was obviously a figurehead for those who wanted to manipulate him. Being 'against' anything he wanted seemed like a good idea. I mean, come on!
Then you had 9/11. Bad stuff. Ok, Bush Co, Inc. wanted Afganistan secure so they could run pipelines through it, but Al Qaeda was bad, so we'll let them go there. But, the Patriot Act? Any shithead who voted for that should STILL TO THIS DAY be given a thorough beating. I mean, you don't just go handing unbridled power out willy nilly…you dole it out in the absolute smallest portion! And shit just went downhill from there, really…9/11 allowed them to unleash this entire volley they seemed to have stored up, just constant distraction with one hand to keep the public confused while the other carried out one plan after another. Oh look, that woman isn't a vegetable, she just needs a little rehabilitative therapy! Oh look, weapons of mass destruction! Oh look, George Bush doesn't care about Black People. Oh look, the Terror Alert just went to High again! Before you know it, the United States of America is breaking the minds of its own citizens and mired in a wonderfully profitable war in Iraq. Hello, 2006!
It is only a matter of time before the Terrorists manage to pull off another big one. It is literally George Bush's last hope. I mean, nothing else can save him from justice other than martial law. I wonder if they'll be able to look the other way long enough this time…the absolute best thing Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden could do for themselves at this juncture is NOT attack the United States directly. Let the democratic process work. Change is in the air…don't give these asshats any more justification to strip our remaining freedoms and finalize their consolidation of power.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002214.php
http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3661
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/08/iran-syria-diplomacy/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/12/15/unhappy-white-house-threa_n_36450.html
Ohs nos, teh d1pl0m4cy!!!11!!1!!111
Sometimes, reading comments left by people at Reddit restores my sense of hope:
This is exactly the kind of attitude that allows tyrants to take over democratic societies.
The US Government hasn't held back from applying torture techniques, extraordinary rendition, and kangaroo courts to individuals in combat zones.
You should not rely on the honest, just, and kind people of the US Government to wisely apply the vast power that has been granted to them. Most likely, as in the past, it will be used to concentrate power in the hands of those who will wield it to their own advantage and to the detriment of everyone else.
You are hopelessly, painfully, tragically naive. Familiarize yourself with history, please.