The Great Betrayal: Part 1

by Posted on

Yesterday, America’s Democrat-led Congress voted to put an end to the Bush spying scandal. In short, the U.S. government got caught spying on its own citizens without warrants. Of course, the telecoms companies who enabled this spying broke the law, and of course they got sued.

Of course Bush decided that since they were following his (patently illegal) executive orders, these companies should be immune from either civil or criminal liability. And of course the liberals, Obama included, shrieked blue murder. And vowed to oppose any such shielding.

Until Wednesday.

Obama’s vote in favor of a new FISA bill cemented the complete betrayal of the commitment he made back in October when seeking the Democratic nomination. Back then, Obama’s spokesman – in response to demands for a clear statement of Obama’s views on the spying controversy after he had previously given a vague and noncommittal statement – issued this emphatic vow:

To be clear: Barack will support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.

But the bill today does include retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies. Nonetheless, Obama voted for cloture on the bill – the exact opposition of supporting a filibuster – and then voted for the bill itself. A more complete abandonment of an unambiguous campaign promise is difficult to imagine.

So he’s not Jesus version 2.0 after all? Politicians.

Published by Joe Black

21 Replies to “The Great Betrayal: Part 1”

  4. There are things worth caring about. And there are people worth believing in.

    I’m not saying that Obama is now forever tainted because he made a compromise on what I view as a basic human right. It’s just that this should help put him in perspective for all the blind followers out there.

    Also, being a Zimbabwean, the notion of an all-powerful and unaccountable surveillance system is just … unconscionable.

  5. What JB? What is more conscionable for yah? What is the lesser of two evils:

    1. Barack making it to the White House having sold out a bit and THEN representing when he is in place?

    OR

    2. Barack staying true and possibly losing support, jeopardising his ascent to the White House?

    Very simple really. All about priorities and balance.

  6. And on the surveillance front, you don’t have anything to hide now, do you? 🙂

  7. I don’t subscribe to the notion of do-whatever-it-takes to get into power, THEN change the world when you have it. Can we trust anyone with that kind of power? No.

    That’s a really stupid question. It doesn’t mean that I have something to hide if I value my personal freedoms, does it? That’s exactly the sort of argument which allows encroachment and erosion of our basic rights to personal privacy.

  9. If he’s compromising now, there really is no guarantee that his goody-goody powers will suddenly come into play when he’s in office… in fact, I think it can only get worse.

  10. Exactly. That’s why he’s taking so much flak now, because people feel betrayed, and for all his talk of upholding their Constitution he’s somehow managed to support one of the greatest assaults on said Constitution in recent times.

    A new kind of politics? For shame.

  11. So, is this the point where I can come out of the hole that you hounded me into and say ‘I told you so’? If not, I will retreat back into my hole.

  13. It’s not so much about the alternative, it’s more that my argument was the sun didn’t shine out of this guy’s crack. Politicians are politicians, none of them are better than the other, it’s just the one who can lie to you the best. Politics is not an altruistic game. We expect that sort of sh** from Hillary coz she has already sold her soul to the devil, but BHO peddled false hope and change.

    Does anyone put any stock by what Jesse Jackson has to say? Coz he was out on radio threatening to cut off BHO’s hanging bits for talking down to black people. The damage limitation exercise though was classic.

  14. Like I said here, this is not to condemn the guy as Satan on Wheels or anything. No.

    He is still an infinitely better option than anyone else up for the job, HRC included. AS for that old geezer, forget him. This may just be a speed-bump on the road to emancipation, and although he has to take responsibility for his actions, one can’t help but wonder what sort of devils he has whispering in his ear.

    As for the Jesse Jackson “story”, it’s just Fox News and the MSM blowing shit out of proportion as usual. No story there.

  19. So what’s the Zimbo take on what is happening following from the elections? Is it back to business as usual or are people still having to watch their backs and be ready to take cover at the drop of a hat? Is the ZBC reporting on the talks n South Africa? And is this talks thing just a waste of time? Does anyone think that the ruling party will actually be reasonable? I also see the MDC has demands. Is there any change in hell that any will be met?

  21. Roger that. But first, need to get some pub time in. Luckily Minnie has some money, cos I ain’t got shit! I love this new millenium.

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