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Executive Order Overturns US Fifth Amendment

Posted by kdawson on from the deprived-of-life-liberty-or-property-without-due-process-of-law dept.

RalphTWaP writes "Tuesday, there wasn't even a fuss. Wednesday, the world was a little different. By executive order, the Secretary of the Treasury may now seize the property of any person who undermines efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq. The Secretary may make his determination in secret and after the fact." There hasn't been much media notice of this; the UK's Guardian has an article explaining how the new authority will only be used to go after terrorists.

5 of 853 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The short version... by EveryNickIsTaken · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Would you say the same thing about Hillary Clinton, who stands a very good chance of being elected in 2008? Because guess what. She's going to have the same powers when she takes office. I wouldn't be so certain. When 52% of the electorate would not even *consider* voting for you, you're certainly fighting an uphill battle.
  2. Telling by CptPicard · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I find it fascinating how "economic" reconstruction is mentioned first. The neocons just can't hide the fact that they're after the oil, and political reform is just a tool to that end.

    All the USA would have had to do after toppling Saddam would have been to pretty much set up a democratic government without interfering too much in the general way the country was organized and run -- most of the structures could and should have been left in place. You would have ended up with an Arab-social-democracy funded by oil that the US would have bought just like anyone else. Sure, it wouldn't have been the beautiful, ideologically correct social darwinist dystopia where people make use of their Freedom to the fullest in order to survive, but I bet it would have been far better a reconstruction strategy than any after the fact aid strategy that the Iraqis would have ended up paying for anyway.

    Now, had you been so awfully concerned about the evil Socialism that would have crept into the system this way, surely you will also trust in democracy. The Iraqis would have privatized stuff in due time, at proper prices, in order to make their government more efficient. This would have been far more preferable to the looting laws the puppet government in the Green Zone is currently passing.

    Had there been a little bit less ideology, a lot of people would have survived, a lot of Iraqis would be much happier, and Iraq would face a much brighter future...

    --
    I want to play Free Market with a drowning Libertarian.
  3. Re:Inflammatory misleading headline by Miseph · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    It's "temporary" relative to the age of the universe in YEC time, of course. Compared to the 6000 years that is counted for this purpose, a few decades really isn't anything.

    --
    Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
  4. Re:Slashdot ANTI-US by DrDitto · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    lol! At least I know the difference between your and you're. I make typos...I know my basic grammar.

  5. Re:Two important points that prove Slashdot != dig by mrsteveman1 · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I can has internets haxy?