Durbin: Indefinite Detention of Americans Raises Serious Constitutional Concerns

Run time: 09:29 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2_C6GsYYk   Posted on YouTube: December 01, 2011 By YouTube Member: SenatorDurbin Views on YouTube: 18   Posted on DU: December 01, 2011 By DU Member: The Northerner Views on DU: 1030

 
On November 30th, 2011, Durbin spoke on the floor of the United States Senate against provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act that raise serious Constitutional concerns.

One might expect DEMOCRATIC Senator Carl Levin to know better.

I understand that section 1031 is only supposed to apply to Al Qaeda/Taliban sympathizers or whatever (the "covered persons"), but if there is indefinite detention and no provision for defending oneself, what's to stop the government or the military from detaining someone on mere suspicion because they read Al Jazeera or stockpile food or ammunition. Or on anonymous tips from hateful neighbors? Or anti-OWS people making terrorist sympathizer allegations against occupiers? (Conceivably they could say that Occupy is weakening the country and making it susceptible to terrorism.) I just don't see any protections in here for American citizens.

Has everyone forgotten all the innocent people who were picked up in Afghanistan after 9/11 because of anonymous tips? Remember Taxi to the Dark Side? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0854678/


It seems to me that opportunity for abuse of these sections is tremendous.

it is those in power who will abuse the law to lock up anyone who might someday threaten their power. Pre-emptive strike if you will of totally innocent people.

If you don't see what is wrong here, watch the movie; "The Lives of Others" about what life was like under the Stasi in East Germany.

I expect the neo-con Republicans to promote unlimited wars, spying powers and indefinite detention of suspects. But I expect more of the Democrats who are supposed to be in our moral corner on this issue (this also hits home with our huge debt).
Apparently, this debacle played out as a Washington insider might predict. GOP once again got enough Dems by pre-arrangement. Dems take turns playing good cop, bad cop. Those with the least to lose are counted in the GOP column, while Dems on shakey political ground (ie: up for re-election in Dem districts) can oppose war-mongering measures and look like the good guys.
Glenn Greenwald has a good column at Salon that lays this out, and paints a picture of the theatrics Congress goes through to fool us. All, including OWS, should pay attention to this charade. While we may be helpless to stop it with the current cast of characters, we can be educated and hopefully do something about it down the road.
Here is the link:
http://www.salon.com/2011/12/01/congress_endorsing_military_detention_a_new_aumf/singleton/