The New York Times has the disturbing account about how a Nepalese man with an expired tourist visa was held for three months in solitary confinement for videotaping a building.
The man essentially got buried within the system, with little contact to the outside, and were it not for the extraordinary efforts of an FBI agent involved in his capture, he might have been imprisoned much longer.
One thing that continues to baffle me is how many so-called conservatives, who supposedly distrust broad, unchecked federal power, don’t join civil libertarians in protesting the abuses of individual rights in the “war on terror.” Apparently to these people, party unity is much more important than self-identified principles.
That’s exactly right. Principles and values take a back seat to the party’s political and economic power. You mentioned libertarian Republicans, but there are also constitutional Republicans, small-government/balanced budget Republicans, homosexual Republicans, moderate Republicans, and the “traditional conservative” aka isolationalist/protectionist Republicans. All these blocs of Republicans have had their doctrines trampled on by this Administration and the Republican leaders in Congress.
Their most cherished values have also been slowly migrating over to the Democrats since the 90’s. Yet, they remain loyal to the party that has betrayed them.
Yep. They’ve sold their philosophical souls for a 30 shekel tax cut.