Our Incipient Despotism

Two posts at Balkinization point up further the Bush administration's contempt for the rule of law. This one, by Jack Balkin, discusses the administration's latest attempt to hamper the ability of "enemy combatants" to defend themselves against charges which, in light of the history of these detentions, are as likely as not to be completely spurious. The second, by Gabor Rona of Human Rights First, dissects the Military Tribunals Act as applied specfically to the case of Omar Khadr, who was taken into custody at age 15 after an attack on the al Qaeda compound where he lived with this family. The comments on this one are illuminating.

The administration justifies all this by the mantra "we're at war." We're not, legally. The "war" in question is an eternal struggle against the forces of evil brown people. (The element of racism in current right-wing propaganda -- even the more "mainstream" right-wing propaganda -- is pretty appalling. I note that the recent raid on the weapons cache of a domestic "militia" in Alabama has gone pretty much unremarked, and certainly no one has used the "T" word. Care to make any guesses on that? Michelle Malkin, in particular -- any comment?) In other words, it's a get-rich-quick scheme for major Republican donors. I start to have the feeling that Bush and Company really hate this country and everything it stands for. I don't understand that, but there are too many elements in his administration and among his supporters who seem to spend the bulk of their time trying to eviscerate the Constitution. I happen to like the Constitution. It's not perfect, but it's better than the alternative.