BROKEN AMERICA

THE SITUATION HAS TAKEN A TURN FOR THE WORSE FOR THE UNITED STATES. ONE ASPECT IS, ITS WAR AGAINST TERROR IN IRAQ; WHERE IRAQUI MILITIAS ARE MAKING DESPERATE MOVES TO TAKE CONTROL OF MAJOR CITIES. EVEN PRESIDENT BUSH IS SAID TO BE READY TO RECONSIDER THE WAR TACTICS. MEANWHILE, THE UNPOPULAR "STAY THE COURSE" WAR IDEOLOGY HAS MET WITH STIFF OPPOSITION FROM THE PUBLIC.
ALL INFORMED PEOPLE WERE WELL AWARE THAT A COUNTRY WITH SUCH A CULTURAL DIVERSITY WAS AN UNTOUCHABLE (DON'T MEDDLE) PROBLEM; AND ANY ATTEMPT TO DE-STABILIZE SADDAM (TOTALITARIAN RULE) WOULD ONLY LEAD TO MAYHEM AND CIVIL WAR. TACKLING THIS "IRAQ ISSUE" WAS LIKE TRYING TO WRESTLE WITH A LEPER.

NOW THAT THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE. CAN YOU PUT HUMPTY DUMPTY TOGETHER AGAIN?
SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS TO IRAQ, WHAT MARSHALL TITO WAS TO YUGOSLAVIA, A PREFERRED EVIL.
THE GLUE THAT BOUND THE DISPARATE PIECES.

BACK IN AMERICA, THE NEWS OF THE SIGNING (BY BUSH) OF THE MILITARY COMMISIONS ACT (HR 6616), HAS MET RESISTANCE AND CRITICISM. THE PUBLIC IS BEING TOLD ONLY HALF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS DRACONIAN LAW. YET, THOSE THAT READ BETWEEN THE LINES (3 R'S COME IN HANDY, YOU SEE CHILDREN) CAN SEE THE THREATS TO THE FREEDOMS INHERENT IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
HABEAS CORPUS: A WRIT REQUIRING A PERSON TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE A JUDGE OR COURT, ESP. FOR INVESTIGATION OF A RESTRAINT OF THE PERSON'S LIBERTY, USED AS A PROTECTION AGAINST ILLEGAL IMPRISONMENT.1

THESE ARE ONLY A FEW OF THE CONCERNS OF THE CITIZENRY AT PRESENT. ALSO, QUITE SERIOUS IS THE TERM "ENEMY COMBATANT". AN EUPHEMISM THAT CAN, AND MAY APPLY TO ANYONE THAT OPPOSES THE GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIVES. OTHER WORRIES ARE THE CATEGORY OF "CITIZEN"; WHICH WILL PROBABLY NOW TAKE ON A BATTLE OF SEMANTICS. AS IN: WHAT AND WHO IS A CITIZEN? AND WHEN CAN THAT STATUS BE RESCINDED? IF YOU ARE NOT A CITIZEN, BUT AN ENEMY COMBATANT YOU CAN BE HELD INCOMMUNICADO (WITH NO LAWYER, NO PHONE CALL, NO SPEEDY TRIAL, ETC.) INDEFINITELY UNTIL YOU ARE TRIED BY A COURT MARTIAL. WHICH IS IRONIC, SINCE THOSE COURTS ARE INTENDED FOR SOLDIERS, NOT CIVILIANS. ONE CAN SEE THE ANALOGY TO NAZI GERMANY THAT SOME COMPARE THESE MEASURES TO.

BACK TO THE QUAGMIRE THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS BECOME. WHERE AN APPARENT PENCHANT
FOR CHANGING THE CHECKS AND BALANCES OF OUR GOVERNMENT HAS OVERTAKEN THE GUARDIANS OF THE CONSTITUTION; WE PRAY FOR PEACE.


MARANATHA



1. THE RANDOM HOUSE DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE College Edition 1969.