National Defense Authorization Act, where is OWC?

I am surprised that I am seeing very little conversation in OWC or anywhere about the National Defense Authorization Act that congress just passed and Obama seems prepared to sign into law.  It apparently gives the government, including the military, simply on the basis of suspicion the authority (and may, in fact require them) to take into custody anyone they believe may be associate,d with Al Quaeda, the Taliban or "associated groups and hold them indefinitely.  It also gives them the power to turn these people over to foreign governments (rendition). Based on our experience with the attorney general's list in the 60's, this could easily be stretched to include most people associated with OWC.

There seems to be little discussion of this anywhere including within the OWC community.  Why is this horrendous act of Congress getting so little comment?  What do other people on this list think about this?

--Kenoli 

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Permalink Reply by Kenoli Oleari on December 21, 2011 at 2:15pm

Here is a link to a Mother Jones article on this subject:

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/12/did-congress-just-endorse-r...

Permalink Reply by Jitendra Darling on December 25, 2011 at 8:28pm

I agree, Kenoli.  The lack of response across the board is a bit mysterious.  It's been so effectively blacked out by corporate media that people I assume would know about the NDAA clauses, have no clue.  I'm also surprised MoveOn hasn't ignited it's usual storm of coverage and action.  I see a fairly strategic and tactical timing on the part of pro-NDAA sources to first clearing encampments; waiting a couple of beats for #Occupy momentum and attention to flag; creating some media diversion with "withdrawal" from Iraq and giving people their tax break, etc., etc.; while propping up Obama as some kind of hero for the people while he is much more Wall St.'s hero. 

I think there's still a little bit of shock and confusion re: the source of the indefinite detention language.  Up til a week and a half a go, we actually believed that Obama was prepared to veto the NDAA, that is until Levin dropped the bomb saying the indefinite detention clauses came from the White House and therefore making the likelihood of an Obama veto slim to none.  I think a lot of people who have been thinking Obama is pro we, the people, are a bit disoriented.

Having recognized what is actually happening through untinted glasses, the challenge seems, as always, to assess the most effective actions from here to dissuade Obama from signing the indefinite detention version of the NDAA. Would mass protest be enough? Can we pull it off in such a short time frame?

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