Is it not safe to say we should never trust anyone fully! This is something I have learned on my journey through life. I find it impossible for others not to have learned the very same thing. Why is it even questioned such power is not what I would consider a "good thing"! This type of power could be abused so easily, without question. Fascism is a word that comes to mind when I think about a power like this. I do not know about you, but it could lead to some very difficult times for this country if it were ever abused by our President. This is something that could be very detramental to our Constitution. We thank our Constitution was tested in a recent election, wait till an abuse of this power were to surface. This would be a real test to our Constitution. We had better start looking at what can happen because of the abuse of power, rather than the benefit of allocating such a power! What are the ramifications of such an abuse.

Two Comments:

1) Scary is right - Try to explain to me why executive Branch authority supercedes the Geneva Convention in our treatment of the terrorists (eg fine middle eastern citizens" now resident in the gulags (camps) at GTMO.

2) YOU YAHOO - "in the United States as per the Military Commissions Act of 2006."

Proper English says "per" is sufficient without the "as" ;-))

Thanks for the thoughts

Note from MJ: Andrew, you are absolutely right about "as" being redundant. Thanks for the correction, sir.

Mark,
I'm glad you're taking this issue seriously and you've done it in a very simple yet powerful way through your cartoon.

This is no joke. It's not a scary hypothetical question either - it's HAPPENING now. People are being robbed of their liberties. Do you realize in hurricane Katrina US military personal DID take people's guns away from them, leaving them unarmed to guard their homes during riots? People who put up a fight were arrested. Research this violation of constitutional rights.

And imagine, US military personnel sworn to protect the constitution are violating the constitution based on higher authority, which is programmed into them much more than constitutional rights. Scary indeed.

Another bit you might want to research - the president is trying to pass (or may have already 'silently' passed) a bill that would grant him authority over ALL branches of government, state and federal level - in case of declared emergency. A nuclear bomb going off in Washington DC was an example of such nationwide emergency. (One is reminded of 9/11 which in reality did serve as opportunity for government to gain more power, whether you believe it was an inside job or not - a small number in power did benefit greatly.)

To question - 'who benefits most' in any deed leads to great truth.

Watch:
Zeitgeist Movie (on Youtube)
and Freedom to Facism (also on Youtube)

and be afraid.

It's the people (you and me) that truly hold the power of government in a democracy - but only when they choose to be informed and EXERCISE their power. A passive democracy is as good as fascism.

Yes, I'm thinking.... Our Democratic Government with the 3 branch system that was originally intended as 'checks and balances' on each other as a safe haven for all, seems to have gotten out of balance with the executive branch holding the most power at the moment. Did this happen gradually over the last 30-50 years as a result of fear? Events in history may show that pattern.

Thinking this through: How can we as democratic governanced peoples bring the light of balance to the structures and people who we have given our vote to? Does our vote really make a difference? How can we resist the changes we know are not good if we apathetically refuse to engage in a system that we don't think works anymore?

The question is, what participation am I willing to take responsibility for and what can I see becoming better as a result of that participation? It's up to each to draw a conclusion and ACT on that decision.

Thanks for the ear...
Best,
Mary

There are 10 steps that every despot since Stalin has used to squelch an existing democracy:

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

2. Create a gulag (a secret prison where torture
is carried out)

3. Develop a thug caste (aka Blackwater)

4. Set up an internal surveillance system

5. Harass citizens' groups

6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release

7. Target key individuals

8. Control the press

9. Dissent equals treason

10. Suspend the rule of law

This is happening right here in the USA and We, The People have nobody to blame but ourselves.

So when you think that it couldn't happen here, as yourself where your rights are when YOU are targeted for attention by the thugs of the Fourth Reich!

I sadly observe that The Sleeping Giant has been knocked out of equilibrium by the brutally psychopathic events of September, 2001. The very foundation of The Constitution is being tested.

Hi.

Aside from "Zeitgeist" and "From freedom to fascism", I'd also recommend anyone interested in these issues to take a few hours to read PrisonPlanet.com

Mark, you're doing a GREAT job in letting others know where Amurka is going with all this... but I think things are (in reality) much scarier - just read Alex's website to see what I mean.

All the best!
Miguel Alvarez
CEO, Copywriting.com

Damn this hits a hot button that I could rant for an hour on.
But in an effort to be brief I believe it was Ben Franklin who said,..." a man who trades freedom for safety deserves neither." and let me add this to it, will end up with neither.

Mark,

Thank you for having the moxie to address this issue publicly. You are doing something that many have become either reticent, or apathetic about and that is to become involved and aware.

This doesn't mean that everyone has to go door to door, give a donation, attend a meeting, or join a group --it can be as simple as making others aware of an issue--this being a HUGE one. Pass this link along, and find a well balanced, accurate source of information to keep yourself informed.

Please don't get locked into the mentality of "I'm just one person, I can't make a difference". Don't let life happen to you, take an active part in it and let your voice be heard, otherwise you're responsible for more of the same.

Hi Mark,

The loss of Habeas Corpus is indeed serious. It seems that Americans these days are all too willing to sacrifice liberties for the illusion of security.

Remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: "Those Who Would Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither."

What would be really bad is if this Real ID movement takes off. Having a National ID card is essentially allowing the federal government to "ask for your papers" to prove US citizenship. We don't need a National ID card...passports are just fine for proving citizenship.

Do you really feel safer at an airport when they confiscate your nail clippers? Inconveniencing law-abiding citizens doesn't make us any less vulnerable to attack. It just makes America a police state.

My recommendations: Donate to EFF.org and other similar organizations. Vote Ron Paul - if by some miracle he wins the nomination, the general public will be given the chance to hear about these horrible abuses on Civil Liberties.

PS, the copyright on the cartoon is soooooo two years ago. LOL

You have already told us who can fix this. Ron Paul is the only one! Already see what is being done by MSM to stifle him. Just this morning Paypal froze the account that was to pay for the NH recount! As a total instance of disconnect, refer to Keith Olberman's famous rant on Countdown about the loss of Habeas Corpus, followed by his total lack of support or mention of Ron Paul. And Ron has stated explicitly that he would restore this basic right! And just in case you might ask: yes, we did send Keith a big email asking him to have RP on his show and why!

"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."
Thomas Jefferson

(I thought it better to copy genius than create mediocrity.)

I don't know why they are fussing,
Their government said that they were caring
But, how many of them witnessed it was only lip service that their government was sharing,
And now they are all complaining
Yea, now that their government has made their world so misty

Assuredly they swooned and swayed into a "freedom from care" bliss-season as they enjoyed being spoon-fed someone else's vanities.

There is a lingering fragrant that makes foul air
Behold! The Mystic Formula will no longer be heir,
Because the Curer of the "zionist paranoia" He is here.

Marsha Anderson

This "War on Terror" is a "War OF Terror" on American civil liberties. The right of habeas corpus has been at the foundation of liberty since 1215 when it was included in the Magna Carta Libertatum.

Which of the current politicians lusting after this power and others do you trust?

Now that's a scary thought.

Will & Ariel Durant (historians) made succint oberservations after completing a life time of historical documentation.
In regard to government domination:
First- High taxes laid upon all to finance government employees.
Second-Conscription to man the armies
Third-Corruption of the bureaucracy
The choice comes between private plunder & public graft.
The best economy becomes laissez-faire-
This regarding Chinces premier Wang An-shih(1080)

Hi Mark,
nice cartoon !
Anyway ,we never was free, the "freedom" and "basic rights" , "democracy" etc worlds belongs to a scenario decided many years ago,so,...NOBODY can change the events and the History and the PERSONALITIES which hide behind the scene.

Silvia

The people in power ... who are most responsible for this consolidation of power and legal jurisdiction over American sovereignty ... believes that the answer to America's most pressing issues lies in mobilizing the nation's wealth through unlimited power to appropriate and spend American dollars and property ... including personal freedoms

The next President of the United States needs to understand that our nation's wealth belongs solely to it's citizens ... For it is the people who are the point of origin of all wealth, and it is the power of every free American to create boundless wealth.

The next President should and PRESIDE over THIS kind of nation, with an unlimited an unsurpassed power to combat it's pressing issues.

Thus, it is the American people that need to be mobilized in a multi-modal action against all threats foreign and domestic, rather than a group of politicians with control over standing armies

Civil liberties are the reason that we seceeded from the British Empire, and then had to be written into the Amendments to the Constitution.

As for a quote:
"If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other."
Carl Schurz (1829 - 1906)

The neighborhood is getting smaller, and we are only getting the paybacks for what has been done in our name.

I don't know if Hilary is more trustworthy than the boys she runs with, but I'm willing to find out. It's time someone's Mama put her foot down.

I find it rather interesting that not one (at least of the first 17 postings so far) hasn't disagreed with Mark.

Is this because Mark only attracts a superior and more intelligent audience? ;-)

Cheers!

When you really "get it" that there exists a legal allowance for anyone to be labeled an "enemy combantant" and then held without cause, jury or due process.....it makes you wonder how far off track this country has gotten.

BTW, on a side note: who draws your cartoons? I love the style!

Tony

Note from MJ: Tony, I have a team that works on them. I draw up the concept, script, etc. (and the KaChing Tankers will do some of them in the future as well) and the team goes to town. It's a long expensive process, but I believe worth it.

There is also, by extension, other rights and freedoms being impinged upon by this whole attitude that "we've got to defend against those nasty terrorists" in the "war" on terrorism. Ask anyone who has examined terrorism and effective measures against it, and I think you will likely find that most people believe it is a police matter, not a "war". There's a pithy little discussion on yedda.com about Habeus Corpus that I contributed my 2 cents to, so I won't dupicate it here, but if the subject interests you, some people give it both an historical and legal perspective as well as some cogent opinions at: http://yedda.com/questions/Habeas_Corpus_government_politics_9510528512811/ love Stafford "Doc" Williamson

Thank you for the cartoon, the commentary and for having such a thoughtful and conscious group of readers who share your concern. The constant and intentional diminution of individual rights against the incursion of governmental authority in this country has been a slow accretive process up to the advent of the George W. Bush administration. The horrors of September 11, 2001 have infected so much of what we do with fear that we have allowed our government to curtail rights and prerogatives of the citizenry that have been sacrosanct except in times of declared war. Bringing back our liberties will take constant vigilance and a drawing away from this paranoid fixation on the neverending war against the Islamic terrorist advertised to be hiding in every stairwell. At least, in the instance of taking away habeas corpus as an inherent right of American citizens, the administration has probably overstepped the bounds of what our courts will tolerate. That does not solve the underlying problem, pervasive fear of the outside world, that allows the administration to continue eroding our liberties under the guise of protecting us from the unknown terrors of the world...

I have been reading a book on the aftermath of WWII in Europe, especially Germany. This has given me a clearer picture of Nazism and Stalinism. When I read your post it made me very scared. I have known for a long time that speaking out was a scary thing to do. I was part of the peace movement during the Vietnam War. I am afraid for all of us.

JB

Prepare for the next great 'event' to allow America to go into Iran.

People ask - how can we do something about this?

You know the first revolution began with a simple slogan 'No taxation without representation.' A puppet government is as good as no representation. Ghandi fought with passive resistance - and won.

Sometimes fighting for what you believe is not a question of what you have to do, but what you should refuse to do. A united resistance that does not yield to fear claims their rightful power.

- James

I remember one of the things that bothered me the most in the movie ET was the government just taking over the house as if the people were of no more concern than bugs. We seem to have such limited rights in everything already, to think about losing what little we do have is really terrifying. There is no where to turn if this happens, no one who can do anything..... wow.

Fran

Hi! Mark Joyner!
html
Code doesn't always work on my website
because it is an inexpensive thing with
fill in the form template, but I will try
to copy your html code and get your cartoon
on. Thank you for your excellent work!
Cris Ericson http://crisericson.com
2008 VOTE CRIS ERICSON

I figured out the solution to this problem when I caught a scence from Disney's animated film "A Bug's Life".

I know what you are thinking.

But you can find meaningful lessons in everything.

Anyways...

There was a scene where the Head Grasshopper says:

"You let one ant stand up to us, then they all might stand up! Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one and if they ever figure that out there goes our way of life! It's about keeping those ants in line. "

So here is the analogy.

Picture the few Grasshoppers as Bush (or any other fascist) and his goons.

Although they are few in number, they seem to be more powerful.

The ants (just like us) are huge in number, but havent yet realised their immense power.

And if we ever realise how much greater in number we are, we could join together and kick them and their fascist ways out of power.

Unfortunately we are too busy distracted watching junk on TV and complaning about being a victim.

We think, "But what can I do...I am just one person."

I am reminded of the Orange Revolution that happened in Ukraine in 2005.

Thats when "average citizens" joined forces and removed the corrupt government from power.

You can read about in on Wikipedia.

That is the power of UNITY.

Wake up and claim your power.

Koorosh

Hi Mark,

Thank you for using this medium to get some brainwaves moving. The issue is to figure out that we need to be very careful on who is "creating" our reality/opinion/beliefs and what motive is behind any of these actions. Be more open and take responsibility for the creation of our world as we all do create it to some extend. I love to see the comments as obviously more people are aware of Zeitgeist /
global oneness etc than I thought. It's time for all of us to take responsibility and we are starting with our lives!
God bless (and I mean it in the true essence of the saying)
Catrin

Hi there,
Do you have a clear image of those words: terror, terrorism, and terrorist?

Let's see what the definition looks like:

terror (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/terror)

1. Extreme or intense fear.
2. Something that causes such fear.

terrorism (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/terrorism)

1. The deliberate commission of an act of violence to create an emotional response from the victim in the furtherance of a political or social agenda.
2. Violence against civilians to achieve military or political objectives.
3. A psychological strategy of war for gaining political or religious ends by deliberately creating a climate of fear among the population of a state.

terrorist (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/terrorist)

1. One who governs by terrorism or intimidation; originally applied to an agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.
2. Anyone who uses terror as a weapon in a political struggle, frequently in an attempt to coerce a more powerful opponent, such as a government.

OOps, pretty different from those pictures implanted in our heads over the last few years, isn't it?

If you think about it, it seems the biggest terrorists in the past were politicians, and the biggest terrorism came from the state itself.
That's why a good constitution protects the people from the state and is the first thing that is established. And that's why it's not changed directly, but put aside by laws and acts that do betray the spirit of the constituition.

Well, the past ended just now and it seems there will be a past that still lays in the future, that's about to bring the same results.

Yet this future past is changeable and the power to do so is in your and my hand. So, in the next BIG crisis let the people of the world stand and act together and for each other. Start your training right now and with yourself: make only decisions that increase peace. Peace of mind, peace in relationships, peace in business, peace in every action and peace between the people.

Think of Mahatma Gandhi as a role model or even simpler, find the 3rd alternative to get a win-win-win.

Get in the flow

...Habeas Corpus rights have been suspended for "unlawful enemy combatants" in the United States per the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

However, the MCA also states that even US citizens can be declared as "unlawful enemy combatants." ....

The issue here is not necessarily the "unlawful enemy combatant" distinction. It is the symptom of a much larger problem in the architectural design. When developing any system---be it governmental or otherwise...checks and balances and a strategic system of feedback should always be in place. To develop such a system takes tremendous foresight, planning, accurate deductive and inductive analysis of "historical data" and the sensory acuity and discipline to be proactive on a sunny day.

To carefully build an arc on dry land no matter how foolish it may seem. Our collective tendency is to be reactive in many of our processes, systems,and strategies.

The "unlawful enemy combatant" was a reactive measure that was seemingly put in place as a last ditch effort to cork several holes in a creaky dam.

We experience earthquakes every year in California. In the South, hurricanes are the norm. We know how to duck and cover, store the appropriate food/survival items away for safe keeping, or evacuate a region threatened by the floodwaters of a torrential storm...but how do you really prepare for a terrorist attack and its horrendous effects on a culture alien to its underlying causes, effects, and implications...the unseen inner workings of the terrorist mind, values, traditions, and model of the world.

There is much more than meets the eye. Do we have the courage to look behind the veil, adopt a long term perspective, get our hands dirty and follow through on our commitment to life--liberty---and the joy of being. Liberty is not just freedom from restraint...Freedom resides in the midst of the the two extremes. It is the perfect balance between autonomy and self-discipline.

True freedom breeds a laser focus on the differences that truly make the difference. The distinctions that when rightly addressed make the greatest impact on our results.

"When we become a master of focus, we become a master of life." CH

What are we focused on? Is it really a question of right or wrong or does it make more sense to assess the why, what, how and when do we get started?

Note from MJ: I suppose we could focus on how tasty the meals are if we're declared enemy combatants and stripped of our rights to walk outside, see our families, and such .... Anyway, I don't think anyone has missed the argument for the removal of Habeas Corpus - it's not too deep, really. The why is quite obviously a reaction to the "threat of terrorism" - not a secret and not subtle. What people are questioning is whether or not it is serving any purpose when it can be abused to take away the rights we are supposed to be defending - the whole point of our existence as a country, no? We give a single office, without checks and balances, the right to take away our freedom completely in the name of protecting freedom? If we agree to that, why not just coronate an enlightened king?

That's right, Mark, why not just a benevolent dictator without all the slow and cumbersome legal process and the pretense of 'democracy?' I note that Dubai and the UAE works in this way, with massive current growth. Benevolent royalty. It works. If constructive.

The terrorists have indeed a victory when "pervasive fear of the outside world" affects and causes American foreign policy to be excessively war-mongering instead of harmoniously collaborative. The paranoia reverberates against America's own citizens.

In July 2005, my country did indeed suffer a suicide bombing on the London transport system. The 4 men were indeed muslim extremists, however they were born and bred in Great Britain, they were fully fledged British citizens. A fortnight later an abortive attempt was made by 4 more men who were British citizens to repeat the atrocity on a larger scale.

As far as I am concerned they were verminous traitors, who took military action against Queen and country.... I do not believe they deserved any rights to protect their freedoms, they were indeed enemy combatants. Sadly despite already being monitored by our security forces, the current democratic laws allowed them to remain free and murder 48 people in cold blood.

The point I am making is that just because someone is a citizen, it does not preclude them from being a terrorist. So how then to balance basic freedoms and democracy against an enemy that can come from within, using those very freedoms to freely attack you?

Note from MJ: Role, it's a great question indeed. However, if we take away our freedoms, what exactly are we protecting? Remember that the power to declare someone an unlawful enemy combatant rests in one office now - without a check or balance. Again, whatever you think of Bush - imagine the candidate you trust the least with this power. How can we know they won't use it against the innocent? Evil men are sometimes elected even in a democracy. Because of this, we have checks and balances. The Framers knew that men, all men even the good ones, can at times succumb to evil. The system was designed to ensure one person never had too much power.

I remember the day the writ of Habius Corpus was revoked. It was so sad, the ending of fairness. I felt the press of fascism near, audacious brutality acting with impunity, sliding in noiselessly. We need to stick to the Constitution.

THere's a really nice vid on YouTube. If you search 'the power of love', it's made by 'FoolMeTwiceTheMovie'.

Here's where the lines get fuzzy. Yes, Habeas Corpus is a right that should always be protected, but there are always extraordinary circumstances where there must be exceptions - but these exceptions should never be longstanding and universal without review and right to grievance.

Here's the real rub of some of the above comments, and that is the assumption that only a Republican would be capable of abusing this power.

I challenge this on the face of the current and litigious actions by those primarily of the liberal camps that seek lawsuits and government mandates (including suppression of free speech, both religious and not) against those that don't agree with them and their ideals. Their attempt is to force their ideals upon others with threats of legal destruction against their lives if they don't comply. There is no secret about this. Imagine the abuse in the hands of these people. Ironically, they (so called civil rights groups and liberal class elevation lobbyists) have already revoked Habeas Corpus from many by the mere revocation of freedoms and rights on many levels - yet they don't complain about this abuse of power.

One one hand, you have an administration (and many before it) that doesn't feel that Habeas Corpus, an American rights acknowledgment towards it's own citizens, should be a universal right to enemies and citizens. On the other hand are those that think America is just a piece of ground that belongs to no one and is open to all. This is insanity, for not all people will ever share all of the same ideals. To support this blind and apathetic perspective is to welcome a blatant and open abuse by foreign enemies bent on breaking the US system down systematically by it's own laws - which includes the very freedoms we defend and take for granted.

It's a complicated concept of rights, but it's only valid to those that value the same and shared view of those rights. Otherwise, it becomes our demise.

Note from MJ: Hey John, I don't think the implication of the above comments is that only a Republican could abuse that power. In fact, many of the posters are Ron Paul supporters. This is a non-partisan issue if ever there was one. Also, unfortunately the MAC does not have a time limit clause.

I wonder what brought all this about?

Could it be that the so called peace loving muslims are destroying our country with their lies, hate, and deception.

I have a question.

Why would a government keep allowing citizenship to a group of people, who hate the country they want to be a citizen of?

James

Note from MJ: James, you might enjoy a good study of logical fallacies. Google these: hasty generalization, straw man, affirming the antecedent. Then come back and tell me which ones you're using. Hint: I mentioned all three of them somewhere in this response.

Mark,

I agree with your article, and I too find it disturbing that we, the people, have stood by and let the government take more and more of our freedoms away. The original intent of our founding fathers has been so distorted that someone like Thomas Jefferson would not even recognize the government we have today as being related to the government they fought for.

I know the world that we live in is a lot different than the world of 200 years ago, but I really think Thomas Jefferson had it right - the Federal government should be as small as we can make it and the constitution was meant to restrain the power of the government not give us a few rights that can be trampled on at will.

I find it personally embarrassing that we have allowed our government to become the single largest debtor this planet has ever seen. All this talk about increasing entitlement programs is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titannic. The government is not only trying to take away our freedoms, but it also bankrupt.

Mark, thanks for your reply. I understand - my point is that there is no one sided answer. The question is this however:
Why is it the job of only America to bend over and take it up the chute, when there are many abroad who do not respect our view of "habeas corpus" and who are legal experts in using it against us? Why is it also the singular responsibility of America (in the opinion of some with a popular voice) to bind itself to a universalism concept that our legal rights are applicable to all in the world. Our laws are based on common values that are from a unique frame of government and freedoms that again, many around the world do not share (or care to). Our laws and freedoms are intended for our citizens - those that care to be Americans in ideas, freedoms and liberties. To break our laws down to accommodate all for all things is to essentially trash can our rights in favor of theirs.
Yes, some flexibility is desired, but values cannot be so flexible that they become the grass under the mat - to bend so flat to be covered and eventually hidden and pressed to the earth to rot and disappear under the opposing ideals that seek to remove those "values".

Habeas corpus should always be preserved, but like I said - there are always going to be extraordinary circumstances where it's necessary to suspend it. Yes, you are right on the MAC, but it's not universally applied to everyone - only to those that meet the extraordinary condition. Will it be permanent? Maybe it needs to be until those extraordinary conditions and circumstances are resolved.

It's a nasty game, isn't it?

Note from MJ: Hey John, "only to those that meet the extraordinary condition" is not exactly correct. Again, the power to declare someone an enemy combatant rests solely with the Office of the President. There are no restrictions or conditions. And since one can not challenge such a declaration, this amounts to a de facto loss of Habeas Corpus for everyone. Again bluntly: the President can now have a bad day, get pissed off at you, declare you an enemy combatant, and lock you up forever - and you would not even have a legal right to fight it. That's what the MCA does. Not only does the MCA not have any restrictions, it also does not have a time limit. Is it foolish to imply that the President would abuse this power in this way? Is that just paranoia? Well, only as paranoid as the Founding Fathers as they devised the Constitution for precisely that kind of paranoia: to ensure that no one ever had so much power that they could take away the rights of someone on a whim unchecked.

Hello Mark,

I google'd your straw man and hasty generalization. Is that what you believe? I thought you were smarter than that.

Am I to draw another conclusion about what muslims have done and are doing to the USA?

Are the live videos showing the hate toward the USA on the television a fake?

Did the world trade center not fall because of planes hijacked by muslims?

If they love the USA and want to be a citizen, why don't they give up their muslim religion which will not allow them to be friends with Christians or any other religion.

How can they pledge allegiance to a country that is filled with Christians?

If they love the USA why do they want to keep their koran which teaches hate.

The last time I looked the Holy Bible didn't instruct anyone to hate people.

It says to love everyone even your enemies.

However, it does not say to give up your country and your freedom to terrorist or people who hate you.

Where are the statistics? I'd like to see some real stuff and not some liberal lunatic media who wants to destroy their own country.

Do you not see what they are doing here in America? Oh, I had a memory lapse, you are in New Zealand now.

This powerful media we have is changing reality. They take what has always been right and have turned it around so people will see it as being wrong.

They take what is wrong and make the weaker minds believe it is right.

The government gets 50% of my pay check.

Who in their right mind would vote for anyone who says they are going to raise their taxes.

Oh, I forgot again. The freeloaders who don't work and have everything give to them, know that they will be getting the tax increase for having more babies.

They will get their housing, food, and medical.

About half of the poor working people have to do without medical coverage.

No, I don't have statistics for that either but I do know several people who work and don't have health insurance.

Am I being a straw man? I'm sure the muslims and the insane liberals who wouldn't know an enemy until he/she flew a plane into their home do.

A little common sense can be good for people's health.

All I need to see is what has really happened and what is going on now.

I'll be looking for your comments.

Regards,
James

Note from MJ: James, first let's make something clear: I'm not in any way shape or form anti-American. I spent about a decade of my life serving in the defense of the US. I love my country and that I currently reside in New Zealand has nothing to do with that. I'm still very much a US citizen and always will be. OK? Now, there's a lot to address in your post here, but perhaps two quick things might get you on the right track: First, pick up the book "Dying to Win" if you want to get some unbiased statistics about the reality of terrorism. It has almost nothing to do with religion and everything to do with foreign occupation. Next, you might want to consider that the number of Muslims who are terrorists are extremely small. You might also want to talk to some Muslims and find out what they are all about. None of the Muslims I have ever met (and I've talked to many and am in contact with many now) have any hatred at all for Christianity or the US. They may not agree with US foreign policy (a trait many patriotic Americans also have), but that doesn't mean they hate American or Americans. As for what the Koran says, I'm hardly a scholar in such matters, but I haven't met any Muslims who believe what you think they believe. Knowing that most Christians have very little knowledge of the Bible I can't use the Bible to judge them as a group of people. Same with the Muslims and the Koran. Remember that the reality of a group of people is almost always radically different from the way that same group is portrayed in propaganda. For example, it would be easy to create a documentary filled with abortion clinic bombing radical Christians and create the impression that Christianity is a religion of hate. In fact, I'm sure such documentaries exist. Consider all that, please. And please also consider that your belief of an entire group of people as evil is exactly the kind of thinking that leads to the atrocities you are so angry about. Oh and by the way, regarding your "you're smarter than that" comment - now google "argumentum ad hominem."

In reading some of the posts here I am amazed at some of the comments. I agree that the right of habeas corpus should be restored however I question if some of the writers are as aware of the problems created by a populace that wants to have every need and desire of their hearts met by a huge government.
This is one of Ron Paul's points he espouses.
In the light of what is being reported around the world, which I have followed, I have no doubt that
there are many who follow Islam who are peaceful and desire for peaceful relations with others.
The problem comes when people will not stand up for their beliefs.
I believe it was the poet Robert Frost who wrote
a poem Called "The People" where the refrain goes
"the people aye the people" in which he makes the
point that the people get the kind of government
they want and are willing to work for.
When the people are willing to stand up and work for the kind of government they desire as well as
fight for it if necessary then as Garth Brooks wrote in his song "we will all be free".
Mark you spent a decade in the military and I am sure saw a lot that your fellow countrymen never think of. My Dad spent 3 decades in the military covering 3 wars, WWII, Korea and Vietnam, yet when I blindly criticized the peace activists in the 60's he told me to learn what their position was before I spoke up. That was one of the best pieces of advice he ever gave me. Because of that advice I make the effort to look at all sides of an issue
before taking a position.
I learned this also when I was in high school in the 60's. Back then the great enemy was communism
and it was felt that in order to be against something you had to know and understand it.
This reasoning resulted in Karl Marx's The
Communist Manifesto being taught in the high school history departments. We studied all the aspects of how communism was being practiced around the world. The result for me was that in college I never succumbed to the siren call of this system which has proven so badly for the people ruled under this system.
I would suggest that if you are going to debate the current situations you seek to know as much as
you can about all sides of the issues.
I could go on and make this an even longer rant
but I will leave you with one quote from one of my
favorite authors, Robert A Heinlein, and I may not
have it word for word. As I reember it the quote
is " you cannot enslave a Free Man the only thing you can do is kill him."
At some point we may all have to fo as our founding fathers did and pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honors and be willing to
die for our principles.
I am not saying there is nothing wrong with our country but if we want it to improve and be better
then we have to stand up for it. If you are complaining about what is happening then I ahve to
ask you " Did YOU vote in the last election?" If not then you are part of the problem. Another quote from Heinlein "There may not be anybody you
want to vote for but there is bound to be someone
you want to vote against."
I hope my ramblings make some kind of sense as it is about 1:30 am here right now.

According to todays prapaganda, Kennedy Was A Terrorist...If That's the case then...

"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily lives, and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." --- John F. Kennedy

Yeah, the suspension of habeus corpus is concerning, though not without precedent. Abraham Lincoln utilized it during the American Civil War.

Note from MJ: Hi David, yes and I believe it is considered by most historians to be a blemish on his otherwise sound wartime leadership. There are provisions for the suspension of various freedoms in our law (the "clear and present danger" test for example), but all things are meant to have checks and balances. We have given a single office the power to imprison anyone - without any opportunity to dispute that. And there is no time limit on it.

The suspension of Habeas Corpus without time limit or the opportunity for judicial review is a devastating threat to the basic principles of democracy. I recognise that there are times when the Executive has to act quickly and without recourse to the usual checks and balances. In a time of acute emergency there has to be an element of common sense and the freedom to do what is necessary to prevent loss of life. However, there must be a review procedure in place which allows independent informed judiciary to examine the evidence and to determine whether it is sufficient to continue the suspension. It must be possible for a panel to be appointed from amongst few trusted elder statesmen, senior military and diplomats who are no longer actively engaged in their former careers. They must be truly independent and unafraid to challenge the evidence they are being presented with, The occasional former "spook" might be of help. Without this, we devolve to the level of the paranoid thinking that we are trying to combat. Without fair and impartial review, the terrorist has already won. I am a Scot whose father was incarcerated in a Russian Gulag during the Second World War for the crime of being a Pole in the wrong place at the wrong time. Freedom is especially precious to those who know its loss. Please do not throw it away through fear based reactionary behaviour. Mark, thank you raising this issue.

Feb 13 2008 Dr. Ron Paul speaking
"I rise to speak on the concept of competing currencies. Currency, or money, is what allows civilization to flourish. In the absence of money, barter is the name of the game; if the farmer needs shoes, he must trade his eggs and milk to the cobbler and hope that the cobbler needs eggs and milk. Money makes the transaction process far easier. Rather than having to search for someone with reciprocal wants, the farmer can exchange his milk and eggs for an agreed-upon medium of exchange with which he can then purchase shoes. "
There is one currency that buys the means of this type of fascist oppression. When we can choose new currencies we can create a different society, a society where this type of thuggery is not permitted. Your cartoon demonstration illustrates yet another reason our forefathers required competing currencies.

Prisoners of war can be held as long as war is still in progress , but holding non-combatants without due process is just not right."Habeas Corpus" should be restored to 'any' individual after a maximum of seven years.

Hi Mark,
Somehow I've managed to miss your cartoons of late, but with this one, it's good to see yet another influential mind falling in line with David Icke's theories TWENTY years down the line.

Instead of mocking the man, I think it's about time we started to listen to him.
(And You of course).

I've just arrived here from your post about the MISSING MAN. Could it be HIM, David Icke??

Good stuff,

Looking forward to MORE common sense talk.

Pete Moring.

Note from MJ: Hi Pete, I don't know anything about David Icke so can't say whether or not I agree with what he says.

Can you understand the reality we feel, the price of kosovo's people independence, the new tendency of Europe borders based on political strategy for Balcani?

"Should the world recognise an independent Kosovo?

European Union foreign ministers have failed to agree a joint position on Kosovo's declaration of independence. How does this affect Kosovo's new status following Sunday's secession?

The EU President said member countries would be allowed to decide individually whether to recognise Kosovo's independence. Several major EU powers, including France and the UK, have done so. Spain, Greece and Slovakia are among those EU members who have not.

President Bush has said independence for Kosovo was something he and his government has long advocated.

Serbia has recalled its ambassador from Washington. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica also threatened to withdraw envoys from other countries which recognised the territory's secession from Serbia.

Russia is backing Serbia's refusal to recognise the secession."
The attention for Kosovo is Crom, the drugs marketplace, terrorism,etc and the islamic religion in a Christian Europe.There is Albania ( islamics), from the old federative Yugoslavia is Macedonia with the major islamic population which was a minority in the Christian religion, and maybe Croatia.
Can you imagine this disaster?
Silvia

The World has become a far more dangerous place in the last fifty years, not because of the physical dangers of war, social violence or famine, but because of the constant attacks on our 'mind'.

Self-defense courses are growing in popularity because of the very real fear of 'physical attack' by unknown predators. Good money is being made by up-and-coming martial arts instructors. All good stuff in it's own right, but what about the constant attacks on our minds? Why is more not being done to advise the world community that THAT is the most dangerous attack of all. Why are they not striving to 'protect' themselves from that far more dangerous attack?

I know you're doing your bit here Marc, but people like you are so few and far between.

Thanks,

Pete Moring.

Oddly enough, I come from a country* that doesn't have this right and I know the abuse that can come from not having it.

Argueably it keeps the bad people out of sight faster and longer then without it, however, we live by rules that were made by MAN and these rules are sometimes made by people at their convenience.

It's hard to abide them 100%, especially if we are put in a position where we have limited choice and we were not involved in the process of making them.

Since there is boundry that is already set for freedom that we have, the basic human right should be to at least have the right to at least go to trial if we are put into a position where they have to break these boundries.

No one, except maybe God *highly unlikely has the right to take this freedom away.

I would fight for this right if I were you. Once you lose it, you might never get it back, and you will no longer be living as free men!

*Malaysia - you can read how our government recently abused this law when they put 5 innocent men in prison only recently for trying to defend the right of a whole race. http://www.hindraf.org