Category: Politics

(I’ve been trying to avoid political subjects here, but this has me upset enough, that I felt like something had to be said.)

You’re going to have to pardon my language here, but what the hell is President Bush thinking? Yesterday, an Executive Order was issued Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq. The language in this Executive Order is vague enough that it could be used to seize property from anyone who undermines political and economic development in Iraq. Because it does not define anyone person or group specifically, it’s possible that this order could be used against anyone that opposes the war in Iraq.

This Executive Order spits in the face of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution:

“No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

President Bush, you are not Caesar. You, sir, are abusing your power as President. You are not above the law. You are not above reproach. You blatantly ignore the checks and balances of the Judicial and Legislative branch. You sir, have hijacked the Federal Government. And you are guaranteeing that Republicans are going to lose a foothold in our government at all levels. You aren’t acting in the best interests of America any longer. You’re acting in the best interests of George W. Bush & Co.

God help our country.

This is a really eye-opening article in the New York Times on the rush to execute Saddam Hussein.

I’ve got mixed emotions on Saddam’s execution.

On one hand, I feel like man should not take death into his own hand. Yes, Saddam committed atrocities against the people of Iraq. Yes, Saddam was an insane dictator. But the contempt that was shown him as he was hung was disheartening. It was like a pack of animals was sending him to his death. “Is this how real men behave?,” asked Saddam right before his death.

On the other hand, I can’t help but remember, my dad served in the Gulf War. Saddam invaded Kuwait and claimed til the end of his reign that Kuwait was a state of Iraq. He killed his opponents. He slaughtered ethnic groups in his country. He was a bad person, and deserved to be punished.

But death? In this fashion? I have a hard time with it. Saddam was broken, reserved, and dare I say fearful of his end. His executors were ugly, disrespectful, and mocking of his death. Saddam was being hung for his savageness, yet his executioners were the real savage on this day…

If there is one good thing about this whole ordeal, it is that the United States was not directly involved in his execution.

“The Iraqis seemed quite frustrated, saying, ‘Who is going to execute him, anyway, you or us?’ The Americans replied by saying that obviously, it was the Iraqis who would carry out the hanging. So the Iraqis said, ‘This is our problem and we will handle the consequences. If there is any damage done, it is we who will be damaged, not you.’”

Regardless, Saddam is now dead, and perhaps the world is better off because of it. But I hope the way his death was conducted will help the Iraqis to re-examine some of their barbaric tendancies.

Here’s more on the subject.