http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/02/04/assassinations

Lets be audacious in our hope for change!

I haven't heard of any citizen assassinations in the past 9.5 years.

Do you really think you would have?

In Soviet America, habeus corpses you?

I do yes. Do you think our government would be capable enough to cover something like this up?

I do yes. Do you think our government would be capable enough to cover something like this up?

Yes, for at least a decade, if not more. Apparently they can lose 800,000 gallons of fuel into their water system for years on end, why not whack a few citizens.

Furthermore, even if you're correct, having not exercised an illegal and immoral power doesn't make the power less illegal or immoral.

I was trying to jump in front of the sky-is-falling train. So in an asymmetrical war against terrorists when do you cross the line from American Citizen to enemy combatant? When you build 50 pipe bombs in your basement or do you have to actually deploy them? I don't see a happy middle-ground on this because it is not black and white.

The person on Salon intentionally threw up a strawman of people sleeping in their beds being murdered by the government. But what about the guy with a rental truck loaded with fertilizer and det cord trying to park under a bridge who refuses to comply with police? Assuming he is licensed to handle both components when can you take action? What action would be reasonable? Is he eating lunch and doesn't want to be hassled or is he waiting for sufficient traffic build up to detonate his payload?

Guess that's the danger of living in a "free country", eh?

These violations of rights ARE totalitarianism, and people willing to violate those principles are greater dangers to our country than any terrorist.

Targetted killings of individuals can help our country in some situations. Terrorists only cause destruction and mayhem, and definitely are a greater danger.

Assuming we're talking about US citizens and not some vaguely defined "enemy combatant," because that only muddies the issue and I don't want to get into it: your rights are never suspended or ignored. Ever. Habeus corpus should always be in place.

There is no grey line. There is no ticking bomb. This is either a "rule of law" country, or not. Our founders denied totalitarianism. These violations of rights ARE totalitarianism, and people willing to violate those principles are greater dangers to our country than any terrorist.

No, it can't help our country.

No, they aren't a greater danger.

You pretend to advocate totalitaristic utilitarianism though, so I'm not surprised you're pretending to advocate this, troll.

The "Rule of Law" in this country allows the suspension of Habeus Corpus. It is specifically written into the Constituion.

Yes, it can help our country. Examples are known terrorists that the feds don't have enough concrete evidence to arrest, but who clearly are a great danger.

Terrorists are the ultimate violators of rights. A typical terrorist detonates explosives near civilians, and there is no greater violation than mass murder. "Assassins", if you might call them, would be sent by the government to kill presumably dangerous individuals. This protects people who they may hurt.



I don't advocate "totalitaristic utilitarianism", and I will ignore your name calling. I think that free markets and freedom of choice are the best approaches for a healthy society. However, to keep society stable, policies such as targeted killing should be in place.

As part of the operations, Obama approved a Dec. 24 strike against a compound where a U.S. citizen, Anwar al-Aulaqi, was thought to be meeting with other regional al-Qaeda leaders. Although he was not the focus of the strike and was not killed, he has since been added to a shortlist of U.S. citizens specifically targeted for killing or capture by the JSOC, military officials said.

Assuming we're talking about US citizens and not some vaguely defined "enemy combatant," because that only muddies the issue and I don't want to get into it: your rights are never suspended or ignored. Ever. Habeus corpus should always be in place.

There is no grey line. There is no ticking bomb. This is either a "rule of law" country, or not. Our founders denied totalitarianism. These violations of rights ARE totalitarianism, and people willing to violate those principles are greater dangers to our country than any terrorist.