What were they thinking??!!

Days later, I'm still not over the shock of Congress passing legislation expanding the National Security Agency's authority to spy on Americans without warrants. By capitulating to George Bush's demands for broad new surveillance powers, Congress has not only trampled on our Constitutional rights but failed its own Constitutional duties!

The law permits warrantless surveillance of "persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States" - even when they are U.S. citizens or are communicating with U.S. citizens - with no prior court approval and only minimal court oversight. Rather than setting meaningful boundaries on the Executive Office, Congress essentially handed the president a blank check to invade Americans' privacy.

Congressional members following along like sheep is disgraceful, especially considering that the Bush administration has consistently concealed the truth about its illegal spying programs. The president admitted to the so-called "Terrorist Surveillance Program" only when press reports forced his hand in December 2005. After the administration deliberately evaded numerous Congressional inquiries, it took the threat of perjury charges for the Attorney General to concede last week that the program was more widespread than first acknowledged. In its haste to pass legislation, Congress simply caved in to the administration's fear-mongering.

Op-ed pages and blogs around the world are filled with outrage, as the country wakes up to repercussions of Congress radically expanding surveillance powers. Most are asking the same question: faced with this atrocious legislation, how could its many opponents shrink from the moment and let it pass? Dianne Feinstein, are you listening? Hello! Furious California voter here!

Dan Froomkin at the Washington Post has an excellent round-up of editorials and news reporting since the weekend.

More examples:

The NY Times editorial page: "[T]he problem with Congress last week was that Democrats were afraid to explain to Americans why the White House bill was so bad and so unnecessary — despite what the White House was claiming.... While serving little purpose, the new law has real dangers. It would allow the government to intercept, without a warrant, every communication into or out of any country, including the United States. Instead of explaining all this to American voters — the minimal benefits and the enormous risks — the Democrats have allowed Mr. Bush and his fear-mongering to dominate all discussions on terrorism and national security."

The Washington Post editorial page: "To call this legislation ill-considered is to give it too much credit: It was scarcely considered at all. Instead, it was strong-armed through both chambers by an administration that seized the opportunity to write its warrantless wiretapping program into law -- or, more precisely, to write it out from under any real legal restrictions."

The LA Times editorial page:"That this flawed legislation was approved by a Democratic Congress is a reminder that many in the party are still fearful that they will be labeled 'soft on terror' if they don't give this administration what it wants when it wants it. But the party may be equally injured by the perception that it won't stand up for what it believes."

Professor Jack Balkin:" Do not be mistaken: We are not hurtling toward the Gulag or anything that we have seen before. It will be nothing so dramatic as that. Rather, we are slowly inching, through each act of fear mongering and fecklessness, pandering and political compromise, toward a world in which Americans have increasingly little say over how they are actually governed, and increasingly little control over how the government collects information on them to regulate and control them. Slowly, secretly and imperceptibly, the mechanisms of government surveillance are being freed from methods of political control and accountability; and the liberties of ordinary citizens are being surgically removed under a potent anesthesia concocted from propaganda, fear, ignorance and apathy."

Salon's Glenn Greenwald: "Those who fail to defend [the Constitutional] framework, or worse, those who are passively or actively complicit in its further erosion, are all equally culpable. With each day that passes, the radicalism and extremism originally spawned in secret by the Bush presidency becomes less and less his fault and more and more the fault of those who - having discovered what they have been doing and having been given the power to stop it - instead acquiesce to it and, worse, enable and endorse it."

Meteor Blades at DailyKos, speaking directly to Democratic leadership: "Weak is bad enough. Must you be simpletons as well? How many times has he [the president] marketed this crap? How many times have you bought it? Do you also fall for those late-night $19.95 television deals for a double-set of knives that never need sharpening?"

It is up to us to hold our representatives accountable for either allowing this change or supporting it outright. Send them a letter, phone to voice your opposition and visit their home offices in your district during the August recess. Spread the word to your friends and family about what Congress has done and urge them to take action too. Fortunately, the law has a six-month expiration date and some Congressional leaders have said they want to revise the law before then. Restoring protections for our fundamental rights - as provided in the Constitution - should be a top priority.

For Poetry Thursday:

Spread democracy around the globe?
That's rich, coming from you
who delights in trampling on freedoms
and removing legal protections
for our environment.

Your fear-mongering a tired strategy:
I thought no one was listening anymore
but even some Democrats kow-towed
to your latest effort to stifle rights
guaranteed in the Constitution.

Apparently they're more afraid
of the tall tales of aspersion you cast
than the wrath of voters
who have had more than enough
of being ignored

while civil liberties eroded,
tax dollars poured into a travesty of war,
a generation of young men dying
for your false claims,
while bin Laden remains free.

Who could have imagined
the terrible havoc and destruction
one man and his cronies could reap
under the guise of freedom
while inflaming hatred around the world?

Comments

[Lara]

your perspective is refreshing and your writing very inspiring!

[rosa]

I put a link to your blog in mine because the BlogDay.

[Rob Kistner]

I've been out of the blog loop for a week, so just catching up.

The nightmare of "W" will haunt this country fro many many years to come. I fear we may only just be seeing the beginning of the end of the America, envisioned by, then fought and died for the founders of this great country, and the generations who have given their life since.

That Bush is even President, and not impeached, given what he's pulled, including "stealing" two elections -- proves to me there is a diabolical force behind this regime that cannot be thwarted. The Democrats seem to lack either backbone, or simply the clout, to stem this ugly tide.

If a Republican sits in the White House after the next election, the slide down this slippery slope, may see the complete erasure of the "Bill of Rights", the end of Democracy, and the rise of a fascist America.

"The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power." ...Franklin D. Roosevelt

[Stephanie]

First time here....wanted to visit my fellow bathing beauty :)

Very powerful stuff here....I agree most people are not paying attention as our rights are further eroded. I had a conversation this evening with someone who said that historically democracies have not lasted much longer than 200 years.....is this what is happening to us??

[Clare]

RIGHT ON!
You have a real gift for words -- for expressing the urgency and dire importance of what is happening, and for helping educate people. And your poem rocks! Sometimes I feel like people just aren't seeing what is happening or caring about it -- then I come to your site and your voice is a wonderful light house pointing the way to sanity!
:)

[rochambeau]

Your poem is the sad truth Tara,
Here is the weird thing. It seems in the states many people just don't care. Some people are ignorant, they don't realize what is going on. THE BIG PICTURE. That there is a WORLD out there other that there city in th US. Perhaps they have never traveled. Some not savvy, and are unable to cut through to the truth. Listing to propaganda doesn't help the ignorant. Some don't care because they are not paying attention, and rather go shopping!! Unfortunately there is a ying for every yang. There is always a price to be payed. Ignorance can be bliss, until a you wake up in with all of your rights stripped away!

[Laura]

I can't get over it, either!! They did this in the stealth of a weekend night, the cowards. I imagine them silverfish or cockroaches, who scurry towards the slimy, underground places when the kitchen light is turned on.
When the best lack all conviction (Yeats knew how to call it), the world seems a hopeless place, for sure.

[tinker]

It really is frightening how far we seem to have strayed from the ideals this country was founded on. I can only imagine that our founding fathers would be fairly whirling about in their graves, if they knew how fast and loose modern-day politics plays with the constitution they fought so very hard to bring into being.

[JanePoe (aka Deborah)]

Wonderful post & poem ... the subject matter however, is devastating and upseting. I'm stunned at the fear (or whatever it is) from the Democrats ... WHERE is our representation????????????????????????????????? ~JP

[pepektheassassin]

You always say for me what I can never find my own words for. And say it a hundred times better.

[maddie]

Tara - Jack Balkin said it so well for me
in regards to this outrage.

[lacithecat]

I think 'Blue's comments are enlightening as they nail it, don't they. And one wonders why we live on the other side of the ocean with our little blue passports (my is faded, but still).

Been away working en masse. Looks like I missed a fair amount! Hope all is well.

x

[Tumblewords]

'Tis indeed a sad time in our world. You've said it well. Keep writing!

[Leslee]

Thank you for making the effort to create
this round up. So true, so sad, so shocking.

[gautami]

sad but so true and it says much about whats happening all over the world. Another thoughtful post...

[Regina Clare Jane]

Oh, Tara- this is heartbreaking. I wonder if we can all make it out of this administration alive...
I think the Congress and Senate have really let us down- no one has guts anymore... we need leadership and not the roughshod kind!
A powerful poem- thanks for caring so much, Tara- I admit to being out of the loop simply because it's so depressing to think about...

[Alan Bender]

Or maybe it was earlier than that...

War is not the Answer
RIDE A BICYCLE

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Nobody Hero - Commencemet Speech notes
It is graduation time and millions of young people will be looking for opportunities. Commencement speakers will ooze out all kind of platitudes and unwittingly urge the young to fight the battle-for-freedom in behalf of the tax payers that supported their public education. We can only hope those speakers include this bit of reality about military hocus pocus:

Nobody Hero

Iraq
rookie bonus
medical care payment---
lifetime VA visits . . . no legs
attached.

[Alan Bender]

I like your style. I had forgotten how long ago it had been since I have up on these evil clowns. January 2006?

[Crafty Green Poet]

its a warped view of democracy they all have...

[Leau]

Excellent wake up call! Sometimes I simply cannot read the paper or listen to the news. Nothing seems to stem the flow of power to Bush. I feel like I am watching a real life version of the cartoon "Pinky and the Brain" except I can't figure out which one would be the brain! Leau

[paisley]

i am very non-politico..... but i feel this poem,, and i know in my heart,, you speak truth...

[Brian]

Rights bought and sold,
The market of profit
and greed
Rights trampled,
by fascist regimes
no trial
Death at dawn
for
The Constitution

[Blue]

Wow! Your constitutional rights are almost...no longer rights. America could be so great, is so great in many ways. But this seems like a complete violation towards your people. My god, YOU could be up for surveillance, living in Paris, right?
I agree you must stand up to protect what is yours that was written into the Constitution for you.
xo
Blue

[marita]

sad sad perspectives in the us!! just do not understand why americans take all these 'dicatator-like' changements without revolting against. 'the land of the free' becomes more and more an illusion.
once there was a beautiful country where...

[tut-tut]

Thank you for all the work you do to present what is actually going on!