[ExI] QRE: barack W. obama

spike spike66 at att.net
Tue Sep 29 02:02:17 UTC 2009


 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org 
> [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Emlyn
> ...
> 
> I agree with what (I think) Stefano is saying. If you've got 
> no way to legally detain these people, then let them go...

Emlyn, what consequences could you imagine from doing that?  What message
would you be sending to the other aspiring terrorists?

 
> ...precedent being set here is far worse for the US than the 
> danger posed by a handful of people...

It isn't the handful of people that is a danger, it is the loud and clear
message that the US will not defend itself from terror.

> In the future, declare war where appropriate...

Where appropriate, sure.  But the picture gets very pixellated with
non-state actors.  The only reason we can do anything at all is that al
Qaida and the Taliban *did* declare war on the US, in 1994.  Of course it
took us several years to notice, but Osama bin Ladin declared war.  The
COTUS did not acknowledge the declaration, nor did it declare war against
aQ.  

So now I suppose we can semi-legitimately hold as POWs, all known aQs and
Taliban, but I can easily imagine independent terrorists acting on foreign
soil against western interests but not associated with aQ or Taliban.  Then
what?  Can we assume them criminals, like the Somali pirates?  What if you
do?  How do you work the whole 8th amendment rights notion with foreign
non-aQ non-state actors?


> It seems to me that there's a problem with the law here, in 
> that you've got no good system for dealing with "asymmetrical warfare"
> combatants, and "non state actors". So fix that, and move forward...

Do offer some suggestion on how to fix that.

> 
> Surely, if you find yourself detaining people indefinitely on 
> foreign soil, it's a sign that you are approaching things the 
> wrong way. If it was a movie, it's what the bad guys would be doing...
Emlyn

How would the good guys deal with this maddening situation?  

If you can figure out how, we will elect YOU as the POTUS, against your will
if necessary.  We can do that Emlyn, for altho our constitution specifically
requires that one be a natural born US citizen to be POTUS, it does not
actually say that one is required to *prove* that one was born in the USA.

spike



 




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