Saturday 20th of April 2024

a tinhorn dictatorship .....

‘The congressional elections this coming November is the
last chance for Americans to reaffirm the separation of powers that is the
basis of their civil liberties. Unless the voters correct their mistake of
putting both the executive and legislative branches in the hands of the same
party and deliver the House or the Senate to the Democrats, there is nothing on
the domestic scene to stand in the way of more power, and less accountability,
being accumulated in the executive. 

The Democrats have been a totally
ineffective opposition and might not inspire any voter response other than
apathy. Rather than vote for a cowardly party that is afraid to defend the
Constitution, voters might simply not vote at all. 

In this unfortunate event, the
only check on the Bush regime is its own hubris.’ 

From Superpower To
Tinhorn Dictatorship

a secret judicial system .....

‘Despite the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of public trials,
nearly all records are being kept secret for more than 5,000 defendants who
completed their journey through the federal courts over the last three years.
Instances of such secrecy more than doubled from 2003 to 2005. 

An Associated Press investigation
found, and court observers agree, that most of these defendants are cooperating
government witnesses, but the secrecy surrounding their records prevents the
public from knowing details of their plea bargains with the government. 

Most of these defendants are
involved in drug gangs, though lately a very small number come from terrorism
cases. Some of these cooperating witnesses are among the most unsavoury
characters in America's courts — multiple murderers and drug dealers — but the
public cannot learn whether their testimony against confederates won them
drastically reduced prison sentences or even freedom.’ 

Thousands of
Federal Trials Kept Secret