The Retort

You Won’t Like Him When He’s Angry

March 26th, 2010 by Ashley Frodsham For The Retort

Through the long history of the United States, offensive speech has been protected by our courts. Whether it’s dirty commies, racist Klan clowns or Jew-baiting neo-Nazis, they’ve been allowed to say what they want to say, even if their words are meant to incite violence or revolution. Until now. Or until George W. Bush, to be exact, decided all that bothersome precedent kind of got in the way of the spree killing Bush’s minions enjoyed under the guise of “terr’ist huntin’.”

In other words — if you piss off the president he can have you killed. Following the tradition of not voluntarily giving up any power previous presidents have arrogated to themselves, President Obama has retained the awesome power of deciding that any American citizen can be killed, so long as he slaps the label of “terrorist” on your back, making you a target of American intelligence agents. Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair let the cat out of the bag during a Congressional hearing, in the first public discussion about one of the most sensitive U.S. counterterrorism policies.

With the permission of the president, and without any oversight whatsoever — no Congressional committee, no court or judge — American intelligence agents can, and have tried to, kill an American citizen. Never mind the five or 14 amendments to the Constitution which, as generally interpreted, guarantee American citizens the right to a fair and public trial. If the president wants you dead, you’re dead. Ain’t America great?