NDAA, not as bad as we think...but only because Obama claims he won't fully enforce the bad stuff

Welcome to the new year, and let's all read the links at this short post from Marty Lederman at Balkinization. The links are definitely worth reading.

The short version of the new National Defense (War) Authorization Act is that the really draconian policies regarding infinite detention, continuing Guantamamo Bay practices, etc., contain a waiver that allows the president not to enforce those policies. Still, the president must be transparent about invoking the waivers, which allows jingos in and out of Congress to say the president is "weak" and "giving in to terrorism."

What it means is that the bad stuff has been put into place. And these bad provisions will be followed by each of the Republican candidates, sans Ron Paul (but let's not be so sure about Paul, shall we, when we consider his belief in Manichean conspiracies and his support of American government side propaganda during the Cold War; note the link buys into the propaganda too and is trying to say, "See, Ron hated the Commies and supported big military spending.").

We are left with the faint hope that the US Supreme Court will continue its jurisprudence of limiting the effects of the growing Star Chamber mentality that has been slowly engulfing our national legislature since the events of 9/11/2001.