[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Mail]  [Sign-in]  [Setup]  [Help]  [Register] 

"America Must Slash Red Tape to Make Nuclear Power Great Again!!"

"Why the DemocRATZ Activist Class Couldn’t Celebrate the Cease-Fire They Demanded"

Antifa Calls for CIVIL WAR!

British Police Make an Arrest...of a White Child Fishing in the Thames

"Sanctuary" Horde ASSAULTS Chicago... ELITE Marines SMASH Illegals Without Mercy

Trump hosts roundtable on ANTIFA

What's happening in Britain. Is happening in Ireland. The whole of Western Europe.

"The One About the Illegal Immigrant School Superintendent"

CouldnÂ’t believe he let me pet him at the end (Rhino)

Cops Go HANDS ON For Speaking At Meeting!

POWERFUL: Charlie Kirk's final speech delivered in South Korea 9/6/25

2026 in Bible Prophecy

2.4 Billion exposed to excessive heat

🔴 LIVE CHICAGO PORTLAND ICE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER 24/7 PROTEST 9/28/2025

Young Conservative Proves Leftist Protesters Wrong

England is on the Brink of Civil War!

Charlie Kirk Shocks Florida State University With The TRUTH

IRL Confronting Protesters Outside UN Trump Meeting

The UK Revolution Has Started... Brit's Want Their Country Back

Inside Paris Dangerous ANTIFA Riots

Rioters STORM Chicago ICE HQ... "Deportation Unit" SCRAPES Invaders Off The Sidewalk

She Decoded A Specific Part In The Bible

Muslim College Student DUMBFOUNDED as Charlie Kirk Lists The Facts About Hamas

Charlie Kirk EVISCERATES Black Students After They OPENLY Support “Anti-White Racism” HEATED DEBATE

"Trump Rips U.N. as Useless During General Assembly Address: ‘Empty Words’"

Charlie Kirk VS the Wokies at University of Tennessee

Charlie Kirk Takes on 3 Professors & a Teacher

British leftist student tells Charlie Kirk facts are unfair

The 2 Billion View Video: Charlie Kirk's Most Viewed Clips of 2024

Antifa is now officially a terrorist organization.

The Greatness of Charlie Kirk: An Eyewitness Account of His Life and Martyrdom

Charlie Kirk Takes on Army of Libs at California's UCR

DR. ALVEDA KING: REST IN PEACE CHARLIE KIRK

Steven Bonnell wants to murder Americans he disagrees with

What the fagots LGBTQ really means

I watched Charlie Kirk get assassinated. This is my experience.

Elon Musk Delivers Stunning Remarks At Historic UK March (Tommy Robinson)

"Transcript: Mrs. Erika Kirk Delivers Public Address: ‘His Movement Will Go On’"

"Victor Davis Hanson to Newsmax: Kirk Slaying Crosses Rubicon"

Rest In Peace Charlie Kirk

Charlotte train murder: Graphic video captures random fatal stabbing of young Ukrainian refugee

Berlin in July 1945 - Probably the best restored film material you'll watch from that time!

Ok this is Funny

Walking Through 1980s Los Angeles: The City That Reinvented Cool

THE ZOMBIES OF AMERICA

THE OLDEST PHOTOS OF NEW YORK YOU'VE NEVER SEEN

John Rich – Calling Out P. Diddy, TVA Scandal, and Joel Osteen | SRS #232

Capablanca Teaches Us The ONLY Chess Opening You'll Ever Need

"How Bruce Springsteen Fooled America"

How ancient Rome was excavated in Italy in the 1920s. Unique rare videos and photos.


Status: Not Logged In; Sign In

politics and politicians
See other politics and politicians Articles

Title: In Donald Trump's America, Freedom From Due-Process Constraints
Source: Reason
URL Source: https://reason.com/archives/2016/07 ... addam-and-presumption-innocent
Published: Jul 10, 2016
Author: Sheldon Richman
Post Date: 2016-07-11 09:52:03 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 1289
Comments: 13

Andy Martin Jr./ZUMA Press/Newscom

The horrifying thing about Trump's recent remarks about Saddam Hussein is not that he expressed admiration for the late Iraqi dictator—in fact Trump called him a "bad guy" three times. What is horrifying is that Trump seemed envious that Saddam could "kill terrorists" without due process—the most important element of which is the presumption of innocence, which places the burden of proof of guilt squarely on the government's shoulders. 

"He killed terrorists" Trump said of Saddam. "He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk." (Emphasis added.)

This should concern any Trump fans who believe that criminal suspects should be protected against the state. Trump was clearly signaling that he wants the government (which of course he aspires to run) to have the power to kill people suspected of planning or having committed politically motivated violence against noncombatants. 

Let's be clear: Trump wasn't endorsing capital punishment for convicted terrorists. (I ignore here the objections to state executions.) He was praising the killing of suspected terrorists without charge or trial in which the prosecution has the burden of proof.

Dictators always find due process an obstacle to efficient and decisive action against threats real and imagined. But Americans supposedly believe that the rights of the accused are more important than the state's convenience.

The securing of due process was the result of a nearly thousand-year struggle against western tyrants. It is certainly true that due process has been badly eroded, especially since 9/11. But this is the first time I can recall a presidential candidate celebrating a dictator's freedom from due-process constraints at a campaign rally. This certainly distinguishes Trump from his predecessors and opponents. That the throng, wearing their "Make America Great Again" caps, responded enthusiastically is ominous indeed.

Trump's remarks are consistent with his earlier expressions of admiration for the "strength" of despots such as North Korea's Kim Jung Un and the Chinese rulers who slaughtered pro-democracy protesters in Tienanmen Square. The remarks also flesh out his promise to use water-boarding and more against terrorism suspects and his belief that the families of suspects should also be killed.

Throughout his campaign Trump has shown impatience with procedures that brake government activity. He often bashes politicians who are "all talk and no action." So his envy of dictators should surprise no one. (1 image)

Post Comment   Private Reply   Ignore Thread  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest

Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 8.

#1. To: Deckard (#0)

"What is horrifying is that Trump seemed envious that Saddam could "kill terrorists" without due process"

Horrifying because Trump proposed it. But not horrifying when Obama actually does it with drones.

misterwhite  posted on  2016-07-11   10:01:33 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: misterwhite, Deckard (#1)

"What is horrifying is that Trump seemed envious that Saddam could "kill terrorists" without due process"

Horrifying because Trump proposed it. But not horrifying when Obama actually does it with drones.

It all depends on if we assume that Trump was making the point that a state leader should do that to his own country's citizens(as Saddam did) , or do it to others in other countries(as with the drones), as in war.

Trump trying to be cute was vague about this distinction(so he could say he was just kidding again if it backfired).

TrappedInMd  posted on  2016-07-11   13:53:20 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: TrappedInMd (#2)

"It all depends on if we assume that Trump was making the point that a state leader should do that to his own country's citizens"

Since Trump referenced Saddam killing terrorists without due process, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Trump was referring to our country killing terrorists without due process.

As Obama is doing with drones, U.S. citizen or not.

misterwhite  posted on  2016-07-11   14:24:12 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: misterwhite (#3)

s Obama is doing with drones, U.S. citizen or not.

It is a short distance from killing suspected terrorists in a foriegn country to killing them at home, drones are very convenient, it is all a game. You have a Phillipine president who advocotes summary execution of drug dealers, how is it Dump hasn't signed on with him? or is that next weeks big mouth scoup?

paraclete  posted on  2016-07-11   22:19:19 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#7. To: paraclete (#4)

"It is a short distance from killing suspected terrorists in a foriegn country to killing them at home"

Suspected terrorists? Trump said nothing about suspected terrorists. Why are you changing the narrative?

misterwhite  posted on  2016-07-12   9:31:46 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#8. To: misterwhite (#7)

because the prejorative "terrorists" is a subjective judgement, we know them by their acts but usually after the event

paraclete  posted on  2016-07-13   20:19:37 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


Replies to Comment # 8.

#9. To: paraclete (#8)

"we know them by their acts but usually after the event"

Correct. And that's when we kill them.

misterwhite  posted on  2016-07-13 20:33:10 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


End Trace Mode for Comment # 8.

TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest

[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Mail]  [Sign-in]  [Setup]  [Help]  [Register] 

Please report web page problems, questions and comments to webmaster@libertysflame.com