Obama's recent decision to endorse indefinite detention without trial betrays the American people and alienates the states once again from much of the world community. Just as Obama seemed to be inspiring hope that a new dawn of American foreign policy was here that would help to wash and dress the wounds of the Bush administration's legacy and allow them to begin to heal, he granted immunity to those involved in torture from prosecution. And now he has followed this up with something far worse...although he has ordered that all American black sites including the Guantanamo black site be closed, advocating detention without trial is essentially a U-turn on what this represents. So, no black sites, just detention without trial? Really...we'll be waterboarding again soon.
Given how easily past presidents have been manipulated by America's corporate elite, think tanks, neo-cons, and the Washington consensus, could it be that Obama is towing the Republican line on certain issues? And isn't it far easier for a supposedly left-wing president of the people with vast popular support to push through unpopular policies which even the Republicans failed to pass?
Many people died for the rights that Obama is proposing to tear down. Rights which are protected by international law and the Geneva convention. Indefinite detention has been used in many countries around the world to disappear people by encouragement from the Chicago boys and the CIA as shown in CIA declassified documents. There is no reason why people in the US couldn't be disappeared in much the same way using these laws. And a key problem with never having a trial is that you never have to justify why you are locking somebody up...lets hope you don't make any mistakes, and lets hope you don't have any bad intentions, because we'll never know about it if you do.
One more thing...perhaps you feel you can trust Obama...that he speaks with compassion, that he speaks of equality and freedom...oh wait...hang on...
Since my elation at the election of Obama, I am becoming distrustful of him...let us hope that the age old adage of absolute power and corruption skips a president for once.
It's amazing how there is still support about prolong detention from the public who would have been outraged had this come from the bush administration simply because it's from obama.
Closing down Guantanamo even with the majority of Congress blocking this proposal is a great symbol and an outright statement to the rest of the world that perhaps America was reshaping itself, trying to live up to the liberties and moral values that makes up this country...so much so that many Americans to this day still feel this country should be an example to all other countries in the world.
Yet, closing it down with no concrete plan on what to do with its detainees and even suggesting the idea of prolong detention is shocking. It's a reactionary, not well thought-out, impulsive move. I would go as far to say that this is seemingly a design to spin pubic image for Obama rather than make a real difference to how we as a country handles the threat of terrorism and behaves towards others. We can not afford to go down this route again.
It saddens me that a country I call home, one where I have so many rights I take for granted is now dismantling the very foundation our laws and principles were built on.
Also interesting on Obama's current choices and what it's saying about him: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kuttner/selective-lion_b_207229.html