The end of the Republic

One of the formative events of my life was 1976, America's bicentennial. It was a vivid red white and blue year. I learned that these United States stood for liberty. We would never bow to a tyrant.

Later, I learned that our struggle for liberty is a continuation of the British struggle against tyranny. Beginning with the Magna Carta, the people of Britain slowly limited the once absolute power of the king. Every English school child learns why the head of state is not allowed to arbitrarily arrest and torture suspects. Because this kind of power will always be abused. The right to challenge your arrest is known as habeas corpus. If the king doesn't have to justify why someone has been arrested then he can silence anyone.

It is important to note that of all the civil liberties we take for granted today as a part of the Bill of Rights, the importance of habeas corpus is illustrated by the fact that it was the sole liberty thought important enough to be included in the original text of the Constitution.*

The right to challenge tyranny in court is gone. As Pat Lang writes, we live now in a monarchy. One without a living constitution to protect us. Mr. Lang is one of those traditional conservatives who finds himself defending the US shoulder to shoulder with liberals like me. From the Sic Semper Tyrannis blog:

God Save the King

The republic ended today with the signing of the "Military Commissions Act." This law ended the "Great Republic" as Winston Churchill described the United States.

With this new law the country became a place in which the president/commander in chief (emperor) can classify whomever he likes as an enemy combatant beyond the reach of habeas corpus. This means that the executive branch can arrest and hold without trial anyone in the world (including American citizens). He can also hold anyone without confronting the detained with the case against him/her or the evidence involved.

Americans, you are now "subjects" and not citizens. Accept your new role.

At the end of his program tonight Keith Olberman said to Professor Jonathan Turley, "I'll see you in Guantanomo."

Maybe we can start a chess tournament.

Pat Lang

It's odd that "Republicans" should be the ones to destroy our Republic. Take a little time to mourn, then get ready to fight again.