Politics & Rants

Rand Paul, Drones, Legal Minefields, and Hellfire Baptisms

We haven't seen a real Filibuster since Bernie Sanders took to the floor a few years ago.

Nice to see the U.S. government's notion it can explode US citizens without a lick of due-process get some attention. If he can get over a few of his more Statist Neo-Con tendencies, we might find ourselves actually liking this Rand Paul fellow. But then again, there is a soft spot in our hearts for anyone tossing a spanner in the works, and when Reid stormed off the senate floor, he looked positively pissed. ("If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge anything...")

From our perspective, Mr. Paul spent 13 hours pouring sugar in the establishment machine's gas tank. We approve.

So, yay. Now that we've had a proper spectacle, people are finally giving a fuck about President Peace Prize carrying on his predecessor's drone-kill-happy-time eh? Sure wish we Americans could "give a few fucks" without the help of a carnival barker. But maybe that's asking a bit much of the "Dancing With The Stars" crowd?

"The Americans will always do the right thing... after they've exhausted all the alternatives."
- Winston Churchill


Bout time.

Been doing much reading of late on this issue for other quasi-related reasons - let us just say that the justifications for unleashing the robo-death lurk at the for-front of our antagonistic little skulls here at Deth H.Q. But we digress. By taking up arms and joining an enemy force in a foreign battle-front, a person effectively renounce their U.S. citizenship.

8 USC 1481: "Serving in the armed forces of a nation at war with the U.S., or if you are an officer in that force."

An antagonistic insurgent force in a foreign theater would be considered a "nation" for the purposes of the U.S. Code. So therein lies the justification used to blow people up over-seas on the battlefields. Now, we disagree with much of this, for a host of reasons we'll not cover here - in the interests of avoiding a 1,000 word thesis on "What is wrong with United States Foreign Policy." (We can be lazy like that). Simply clarifying what "is."

"Battlefield" is the operative word. Slight aside - This is why the goons in Mordor occasionally try broaden the term "battlefield" to encapsulate everywhere. The implications of including those awful war-zones in far away lands like... downtown Boulder Co. hellish Bozeman Mt., or dangerous Niceville Fl. grant irresistible opportunities for those of authoritarian mindset.

Outside the battlefield, due-process, (allegedly), still applies to all -people- within the borders of the united states. That means no military kangaroo courts, no hellfire-baptisms for a family while they're eating, (cause daddy is once supposedly talked to someone accused of knowing a terrorist, or maybe stocked too much canned tuna according to the DHS), and no military or CIA spooks are tolerated stomping down the streets. (Review the Posse Comitatus act for more information).

The State is not allowed to take one's property, freedom, or life unless a jury of their peers or a judge convicts them of the crime accused.

"But... doesn't that mean the Cops are violating someone's rights when they kill a mad-man shooting up a shopping mall?"

1: Don't be fucking stupid.
2: What were we expecting, given the U.S. School System... Sigh.
3: Read on...

Are there conditions where a U.S. Citizen can be killed without a trial? Yes. For example, if said person is actively shooting at people, they can be killed to save the lives of those placed in immediate danger. "Immediate" being the key word. If a soul is not posing an "immediate" risk to the life or limb of another, then there is zero justification for lethal force. (Now if we can convince the Chicago SWAT Mall-Ninja's of this fact, we'll be getting somewhere...)

And then we get to drones.

Drones are weapons of assassination. They are devices of subterfuge. They are intelligence gathering tools. They are weapons of enemy fire suppression. They are implements of war, no different in scope than a tank or a fighter jet. As such, they have zero place being used by a government of a free nation to lord over their populous. Active threats can be dealt with by local civilian constabulary or armed citizens on the scene. Threats that are not an immediate danger can also be dealt with by civilian law enforcement. At no point do we require Terminator Robots flying over-head, spying and blasting people to ash with-out due-process - and this was the question asked by Mr. Paul, which seemed to greatly flummox Mr. Holder - who's name we mention with every last bit of respect he deserves.

The inquiry from Rand Paul should have been simple to answer. "Of course we do not believe it legal to kill Americans with drones absent a trial!"

Apparently, the Justice Department felt differently on the topic. Well color us Goddamned shocked.

The bad press and publicity had to start crashing in before they changed the tune o' their jig. The limelight had the viper-nest pinned, and under scrutiny, they were forced to dispense with the weasel language, lest they appear... unseemly - in front of the strangest cheering section we've ever seen assembled - Code Pink clapping and cheering alongside Tea-Party-Patriots and the guy with the Green-on-black "Legalize Pot" Tee-Shirt.

Surreal. Welcome to the crazy-times folks.

This whole drone mess stinks like the shit of a carnivorous skunk-eating-donkey. The Federal Overlords are all resorting to the weasel-speak - reminiscent of those who say "We don't want to take your guns you crazy-guys you!" - while they vote, legislate, and maneuver to do exactly that.

Oh... and to be blunt, we Don't believe Holder for one damn second - every word that comes out of his mouth is a grotesque lie. He's just pissed that he had to directly lie rather than the standard "lie-by-obfuscation" technique that's essentially become the seconds official American language. Don't worry folks - when push come to shove comes to jack-boots, that rat-fucker will be blowing people up with all the glee of a 6-year old playing a Contra on the NES for the first time.