NDAA

I don't usually post political stuff/rants here, but I just wanted to get this out.

This is political. This is a rant. You have been warned.



Dear people on the internet whining about how Obama signed NDAA, 

1. Don't just whine. Do something, call someone, write a letter, VOTE. When I have met you in RL and know that you do not vote and you get all high and mighty about politics, I call horseshit. 

2. NDAA is NOT all bad. It includes some really, really necessary protections for women in the military who are victims of violence. This is a vital first step in redeeming the rape culture that we call American Society. It also makes the Department of Defense run. Last time I checked, Obama only ended one of the wars we are currently fighting. Whether we like it or not, hundreds of thousands of families still need to eat and our troops still need supplies and support. 

3. For better or worse, the President does not have a line item veto. This bill is not just one thing. 

4. It's a gorram election year. Do you want a liberal fascist or a moderate Democrat as your President in 2013? (Ok, only Gingrich is really on the fascist side of things, but for reals.) Obama could not politically risk shutting down the entire military IN WARTIME during an election year. May I remind you that some of these idiots tried to make the country default on its debt not six months ago? This is not a fight that we, as a nation, have time for. That is how bad it is. 

5. If you read the offending sections, it mainly just reaffirms things that were passed in the Patriot Act... The main change seemed to be (from my limited understanding of constitutional law) that this bill /required/ that suspected terrorists be detained by the military specifically and then trial by military tribunal but then the Senate cut that part out and it is NOT law. The Feinstein amendment that is law now was added to make it so that current law (ie the Patriot Act) was as far as we go, it's questionable. 

Which leads us to the all important 6!
6. THE JUDICIARY. We have all read the Bill of Rights. The police state you fear is held in check BY THE JUDICIARY. The Courts uphold the constitution and I think that Obama and I agree that if we cannot trust the Courts, then we are so fucked that it really doesn't matter what Congress does. 

7. If Obama vetoed this bill and shat on the military and the economy right now (which is what denying the Department of Defense a budget does, no ifs, ands, or buts) he would not be re-elected in November. End of story. Ruth is not going to live with pancreatic cancer forever (as much as I love her). THE JUDICIARY is important. OMG. 

Stop Whining and Start Reading/Thinking/Voting. (Also, everyone should be really incredibly proud of me for not going off on the identity politics involved. You're welcome.)