Crime and Punishment

It’s been reported that the administration is pushing to have military tribunals start ten days after the Republican National Convention. Defense attorneys are complaining that they still have not received a security clearance, and have had limited time to meet with their clients.

I have recently been reading a biography of Justice Robert H. Jackson. He was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, and served as a prosecutor at the Nurnberg war trials. The following are, I believe, some still highly relevant quotes about the need for fair tribunals:

We must not use the forms of judicial proceedings to carry out or rationalize previously settled political or military policy. Farcical judicial trials conducted by us will destroy confidence in the judicial process as quickly as those conducted by other people.

Gitmo has already lowered our reputation for fairness in the world. These tribunals as set up will continue to do damage. Justice Jackson comments further on fair tribunals:

But further, you must put no man on trial if you are not willing to hear anything relevant that he has to say in his defense and to make it possible for him to obtain evidence form others. The ultimate principle is that you must put no man on trial under the forms of judicial proceedings if you are not willing to see him freed if not proven guilty. If you are determined to execute a man in any case, there is no occasion for a trial; the world yields no respect to courts that are organized merely to convict.

Sadly the current administration, and many others do not seem to either know or place much value in the important lessons of our past. (America’s Advocate: Robert H. Jackson, Gerhart, 1958, pg. 317).

Were you lying then or are you lying now?

Scott McClellan’s new book has generated tons of negative response from current and former members of the Bush administration. What a surprise. I hope McClellan does not make a lot from his book. After all he stood there and told half-truths to the nation for a few years. Why should he profit by his sudden conversion to honesty?

Check some of the current and past headlines from my blog roll. Those sites have tracked the incompetence and corruption of the current administration long before corporate news dared speak its name.

Green Line: black & blue passengers

The CTA Green Line had a derailment yesterday. Fourteen people were treated for injuries. The CTA was quick to claim operator error as the cause. Maybe, but my first thought was that the decaying public transportation infrastructure was to blame. Which probably helps to explain the CTA’s rather quick response to place the blame. They want to make sure that the public and the Olympic Committee does not blame the system. We have had a few rail incidents over the last couple of years that alone should give the Olympic Committee pause. However, Beijing is hosting the summer games and that city has some of the worst air quality in the world. So what if the El trains slide off the tracks or have to go really slow due to poor track quality.

Comic Reviews-5/21/08

Mighty Avengers 14
Bendis continues to expand upon his Secret Invasion mini. He has used both Avengers titles to supplement and fill in the back-story of the Skrull invasion. I believe this is an excellent idea, which has been well executed.
In this issue, we are shown flashbacks in which the Skrulls gain information and plan for the upcoming invasion. The Jarvis imposter is given complete access to the Avenger’s files. Later he meets with others to discuss how to deal with the Sentry. Their plan, which was featured in Secret Invasion 2, was to convince Sentry that his Void personality had taken over. The plan works, because the Sentry retreats from battle. Only now, the Void persona has taken over and saves his wife from a Super Skrull.

Checkmate 26
This is the first issue of a new creative team. We witness the origin of the Chimera. The man is called Adam Sharp. He is a soldier in Iraq and suffers severe wounds and is left for dead. Checkmate is apparently running a medical program in which nearly, but not entirely dead soldiers are used in an all weather soldier program. I have two problems with this scenario. There doesn’t appear to be any consent given for this program, and the Sharp’s friends and family are allowed to believe he is dead. This whole program seems to be in direct violation of what the new Checkmate is supposed to be about. Perhaps this is a rogue program, if not than I won’t be reading Checkmate for much longer. Overall, I found this to be an interesting, yet disturbing first chapter. The artwork was really murky, but was not to distracting from the story.

Comic Reviews-5/14/08

Captain Britain and MI: 13

This is a new Marvel title that ties-in with the Secret Invasion. London is under attack and the team, nearly complete is responding to the threat. The issue features lots of splash page oh yeah moments. Something I found humorous was the number of Super Skrull permutation. One Skrull has the powers of the founding members of the Avengers (pg14): hammer (Thor), wings (Wasp), antennae (ant-man), and a power suit (iron man). Similar mash-ups are throughout the book. Makes you wonder if the just allow troops to mix and match at will. The art was good, I got a sense of who the characters are, and I enjoyed seeing hero action outside of America. Overall I enjoyed the book, I thought it was a fast-paced introduction, and I am looking forward to the next issue.


Guardians of the Galaxy

Another Marvel space-based book, that spins out of Annihilation: Conquest. I was familiar with some of the characters, but if you aren’t, basic introductions are provided throughout the story. Like Captain Britain, this one starts out in the middle of an attack. Guess they are trying to grab readers as quickly as they can. A fun issue, with one of the best team name suggestions ever made: “Ass-kickers of the Fantastic”. Lots of wacky ideas in this one: a raccoon that serves as the explosives expert, a temple ship that is powered by the faith of its religious members, and the reality show like mission debrief scenes. Good art, some funny and dialogue, and some character development. Overall this was a good first issue.

Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four

This is the first of a 3 issue series featuring Marvel’s first family. The FF first tangled with Skrulls way back in FF #2. The Skrulls despise the FF, and have made special plans to take them out. Mr. Fantastic has been incapacitated in the page of Secret Invasion, a Skrull has taken out Sue, and another Skrull posing as Sue has sent the Baxter building into the Negative zone. The Thing, Johnny Storm, and the kids are trapped there with Skrull from Johnny’s past. While Johnny deals with an old flame, the Thing is about to fight off insect creatures that seem to thrive in the Negative Zone. Sometimes the big two (Marvel and DC) have supplements to their blockbuster events that are just awful. But this one is tied strongly into not only the Secret Invasion mini, but long-time FF continuity as well. Should be a good series.

Red Sonja-Dynamite

Sonja continues her journey to through hell. She is finds herself attacked by all the people she has killed. The numbers are staggering. When it looks as though she is defeated and about to be abused by her tormentors, the sprits of those that have fought by Sonja’s side come to her aid. At the end it appears Sonja is about to find out her final fate. This has been an interesting arc. But I must admit, I am looking forward to the book moving on to the next chapter in Sonja’s life. Reflection is a good thing, but six issues worth, that’s a bit much. Still I give it an overall good rating, not for new readers, but if you have been reading since the beginning it does a good reviewing her past actions and their consequences.