Hooray already!

[pyat]

On the first day of his presidency, Barack Obama:

1. Forbade White House staff from serving as lobbyists during his presidency
2. Enacted a pay freeze for senior White House staff
3. Revoked Bush’s Executive Order 13233, which allowed presidential files to be kept sealed indefinitely
4. Loosened up limitations on the Freedom of Information Act put in place during the Bush years
5. Announced his intention to close the extra-legal, extra-territorial prison at Guantanamo Bay
6. Specifically limited interrogation methods to those permitted in the Army Field Manual, and upheld the internationally recognized definition of “torture.”

Some things occur to me. First, the fact that numbers 5 and 6 had to be undertaken at all is sign of how just far U.S. Federal government had strayed from their own stated ideals. Being against torture is not exactly a bold moral stance, but, apparently it had to be taken.

Secondly, at this point Obama can now spend the next three years playing World of Warcraft, and the nation will be substantially better off than it was. It would not even be an unparalleled presidential vacation. Bush spent just under three years of his presidency at Camp David or his ranch.

Finally, this quote from an interview with McCain sort of demonstrates why he would not have been an improvement. In an interview, he gave his reasons for partly disapproving of President Obama’s decision to close Guantanamo.

“We should have addressed the issue of those who we know would pose a threat to the United States, but we don't have sufficient evidence to move forward,” he said.

So, the government knows they are a threat, but has no evidence to put them on trial? I understand this sentiment, really I do, but also recognize it as being contrary to the principles of a lawful society. You do not lock people up simply because you’re suspicious of them, even if you have darn good reason. If Lord Sankey were alive, McCain would have been beaten to death with a horsehair wig, while being lectured about “The Golden Thread of British (and American!) Justice.”

Perhaps, if you keep them locked up forever, throwing in an occasional beating when they complain (and beatings are common enough at Gitmo that they happen accidentally…) you will eventually get enough evidence?

Since 2001, 775 people (that we know about) have gone to Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Only three have been convicted of any charges. 270 remain – of whom, the U.S. only intends to charge 60. The remaining 210 have been held, in some cases for seven years, without charge, and in many cases, with the knowledge that there can never be a charge. To his credit, McCain recognizes this as improper. Unfortunately, he does not regard it as a fundamental crime against the “certain inalienable rights” his nation is founded on.

Comments

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

Gitmo is this era's Japanese internment camps and Native American Reservations.

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

I don't think people are given a choice, however one-sided, about going to Gitmo. The JA internees had a choice to move out of the Pacific coastal states on their own and some did, especially to Colorado. Meanwhile, most Indians had the choice to remain and make an independent living in white society, and many of them did, including a great-grandmother of mine.

Seeing as I didn't go into detail...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

I didn't say they were exactly the same but I see similarities whether there was a choice or not. Most people didn't have anywhere else to go. Your great-grandmother was one of the lucky. For example, during the Trail of Tears there were some Cherokee that were able to go onto private property owned by those sympathetic or part Cherokee already accepted into white society. This is why there is still an Eastern Band of Cherokee.

Of course the Nez Perce took their opportunity to run for Canada but where hunted down by US Soldiers. That doesn't really seem like much of a choice.

There is also Wounded Knee and many other examples.

As far as Japanese internment, most of those interned were not able to afford to move, even if they were given the option to do so.

I could go on but I won't.

Re: Seeing as I didn't go into detail...

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Yes, I read it as "It will remembered as an injustice on par with..." and not "It is EXACTLY like..."

Inspiration...

[catarzyna.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I've been bouncing this idea around in my head a bit lately but haven't verbalized until today.

Re: Seeing as I didn't go into detail...

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

As far as Japanese internment, most of those interned were not able to afford to move, even if they were given the option to do so.

Do you not see a difference in degree between being give a short time to prepare to decide between being sent off with your family and some possessions to an internment camp with bare necessities provided and becoming a nearly-broke traveler hoping to make it in another state including refuge states like Colorado offering to host you for the duration, and being snatched off the street, disappeared from a plane, or sold out of your village to become a regularly brutalized unperson?

Re: Seeing as I didn't go into detail...

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I read her comment as "It will remembered as an injustice on par with..." and not "It is EXACTLY like...", and I think any reasonable person would do the same.

Please stop being pedantic about the exact nature of the injustice.

[cargoweasel.livejournal.com]

I was hoping for at least two out of these three things from the first hundred days of the Obama Administration:

1) some kind of comprehensive policy on not torturing people

2) something significant on environmental policy (signing kyoto, or whatever)

3) some kind of plan for withdrawal from iraq.

Got one so far!

[relee.livejournal.com]

Kyoto was kind of lame in retrospect. What would be really cool is a superior environmental policy that the U.S. creates itself, and takes to the world, trying to get everybody else on board. That would be a complete 180!

I heard he was already meeting with generals on the Iraq thing, but you need to be patient with that. Military plans aren't something you can put together safely untill after you become president, so he probably didn't have a solid plan going in. It'll be great if he actually listens to the generals, instead of ignoring them like Mr. Bush.

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

The first two are symbolic, but they are very important symbols and will probably set a precedent for following presidents. The second one is for the voters and makes us feel good. $100k is not much in the DC Metro area. However, anyone who is really senior in the white house is not solely reliant on their salary for income. Three and four have some real far reaching effects. That more than anything else tells me that Obama is going to be a good president. He knows people will examine his record well within his lifetime.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

I'm not actually sure why 2 is a good thing.

[melskunk.livejournal.com]

Symbolic mostly. These were the staff with wages above $100,000.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

And? That's not a lot of money for the work some of those people are doing.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

It's just a thing. :) It's not one of the important ones.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

This almost counts too imho, although it probably isn't really *doing* anything yet: http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/

[melskunk.livejournal.com]

Secondly, at this point Obama can now spend the next three years playing World of Warcraft, and the nation will be substantially better off than it was.

I.. I would argue ANY time in office is well spent playing WoW!

[eyemage.livejournal.com]

Secondly, at this point Obama can now spend the next three years playing World of Warcraft, and the nation will be substantially better off than it was.

I do wonder how long it will be before a head of state is discovered to have a WoW addiction...

And if you PK'd his character do you get a visit from the secret service???

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what you mean by "can never be a charge"?

As for McCain, he went on record against the Bill of Rights years ago when he co-sponsored a "reform" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCain-Feingold_Act) limiting political advertising.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I mean, they have been cleared of any wrong doing. According to Wiki, 20% of the people currently in Gitmo have been cleared of any charges, but the government was unwilling to release them.

They are being held for reasons ranging from not having any country of citizenship to be released to, to "They weren't a terrorist when they came in, but they sure are now."

(frozen)

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

Can you pass me the link to that statistic? I can't find it under Gitmo itself.

(frozen)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

First paragraph on Wiki:
"Since 7 October 2001, when the current war in Afghanistan began, 775 detainees have been brought to Guantánamo. Of these, approximately 420 have been released without charge. As of May 2008, approximately 270 detainees remain.[10] More than a fifth are cleared for release but must nevertheless remain indefinitely because countries are reluctant to accept them."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp

[redeem147.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many people who were innocent going into Gitmo will want revenge now.

[ladyceleste.livejournal.com]

"Secondly, at this point Obama can now spend the next three years playing World of Warcraft, and the nation will be substantially better off than it was."

I laughed out loud at this. It's quite true.

I can't even express how excited I am about President Obama. Nice to see others are happy about the good over the lines.

[relee.livejournal.com]

I'm very impressed with Obama's ethics. ^.^

It's worth a recession if the U.S. returns to it's ideals.

[catsarah.livejournal.com]

I know that most folks don't consider the environment to be as big an issue as human rights and the like, but you know me, I'm a big fluffy tree hugger. Another thing that Obama has done, and I really commend him for, is halting some of the really crass things that Bush was trying to jam through the mail slot before he left the White House, namely removing protective measures for wildlife and screwing over the environment. He's done a LOT of damage but he didn't get his way on everything. So very thankful. There is a special place for people like Bush. And really, if the devil ferrets got him, he'd be lucky.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/wolves-01-21-2009.html

[stress-kitten.livejournal.com]

dook dook dook indeed. :-)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I entirely agree, and your icon terrifies me.:)

[paka.livejournal.com]

Also remember that the President's role has an element of theater. Dubya's legacy of being on vacation or unavailable means that a vaguely image savvy president would need to be seen doing something active and real the first few days in office. Obama is very, very image savvy.