What’s Wrong with This Picture: MSM Coverage of Obama’s Signing Homeland Battlefield Bill
By Mary Theroux • Monday January 2, 2012 4:51 PM PDT • 15 Comments
On Saturday, President Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) a/k/a the “Homeland Battlefield Bill,” (so named because it defines the entire U.S. as a battlefield in the War on Terror), that grants the executive virtually unlimited power to indefinitely detain any American citizen he deems a suspected “belligerent”—at his own discretion, with no evidence necessary. Obama had earlier sworn to veto the law, but of course he’s already shown his proclivity for keeping and expanding every executive power-grab, so it’s no surprise he flip-flopped on this promise as well.
One would think the media would mark the end of habeas corpus with a mention of some sort, but there has been a virtual black-out on this item.
An Associated Press item buried in Sunday’s paper did make note of the signing, “President signs defense bill.” Yet the body of the article makes no mention of the law’s granting the president unprecedented, unlimited, discretionary powers, and the caption for the photo accompanying the article reads:
President Obama has concerns about the treatment of suspects linked to terrorism, such as those at Guantanamo.
Take a look: here.
This disconnect between what’s going on and the media’s coverage of it in large part accounts for the seemingly inexorable growth of leviathan. Fortunately, there are now alternative sources of information to the mainstream media, most notably on the internet, more concerned with covering threats to liberty.
Which only then underscores the multiple dangers of new efforts to censor the internet under the guise of copyright protection and other Trojan horses.
Eternal vigilance, indeed.
Tags: Civil Liberties, Constitution, Culture, Defense, Imperialism, Intelligence agency, Iran, Liberty, Middle East, Military, Peace, Personal Liberty, Police, Presidential Power, Privacy, Propaganda, Surveillance, Terrorism, The State, Torture, War 
Detention Camps today aren’t like the ones that Hitler used. Your doubts about our Kenyan friend spring from your disgusting love for the good life, municipal water systems and food service logistics. Have some respect. We’re being monitored by drones.
JosephHuntington | Jan 2, 2012 | Reply
The amazing thing is the same people would have been apoplectic if Bush had signed an identical bill.
Speedmaster | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply
A true double-edged sword for most of the news outlets! Those liberal news outlets dont want Obama to be seen as too invasive and hawkish and the conservative media is torn between hating Obama and appearing weak on homeland security. I remember when the Republicans wanted less govt, but they backed the unconstitutional patriot act and they will back this unconstitutional law as well! It is not the people who need protection! It is our way of life that needs protection. Politicians and servicemen and woman take an oath to protect and preserve the Constitution and we are systematically chipping away at it ourselves. I voted for Obama and this bill would cause me to vote for someonelse if there were someonelse...
C.J. Dauber | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply
What happened to our Constitutional Rights?
Thomasine Sweet | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply
C.J.....better choose someone else, to cling to this kind of “Hope and Change” and hoping he will change, is useless as well.
Barb Wilkinson | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply
Preserve the Constitution...Hmmm...is “this” still on the table? Our Politicians and Attornies have not only chipped away at it they have slam dunked it! We have so many laws that need changing and mostly need to be upheld! We go thru the courts and put 12 people in seats to condemn or acquit but then it takes many more years to carry out the verdict! Why? When I hear the word “change” now; I want to throw up,..change for what...better...I think not! Sad that I don’t see anyone that I feel deserves the right to be President of the United States of America...sure wish someone would run and show us that they have what it takes to do what needs to be done...starting with our Congress
PJ Mitchell | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply
Obama lost me on this one. There ARE alternatives.
Cathi Woodward | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply
That Bush III (Obama) signed this bill into law surprises me not one bit. The man is not a socialist; he’s a Mussolini-style fascist. He’s a Big Believer in Big Government and even Bigger Crony Capitalism. He’s the best friend of the mega, anti-competition, transnational Crony Corporations...the very best. Like them and Bush, he too is too big to jail.
Most American voters still subscribe to the almost-dead political paradigm of Repubs v. Dems or Conservatives v. Progressives. The new paradigm, already in full swing, is the Oligarchy v. the rest of us. The other designations are anachronisms useful only in propaganda. Wake up, America.
Scott Haley | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply
Patriot Act, PDD51, The NDAA of 2006, this great march forward has been going on since the 1980s... it’s just this latest bill which has a few “conservative” news outlets concerned. Us wild-eyed, bunker-dwellin’. conspiracy theorists have been warning folks for years.
CitizenX | Jan 4, 2012 | Reply
Something evil is coming to a city near you in this year of 2012. What city, or what state for that matter, whatever it will be is going to make 9/11 look like a child’s bedtime story. They don’t have total control yet. Some of you out there still believe you can call up your Constitution or Bill of Rights to defend you in a time of crisis. That ended on the last day of 2011 with the signing of this bill. Why else would they open up the FEMA camps and get those that will do their dirty work to get employed in those camps unless ‘they’ know what is going to happen and they are getting ready for the American people to start to throw that sh-t against the fan at those in government. Just look up into the sky above your heads at the Chemtrails being dumped in the skies nationwide and worldwide and know that your own militaries will do that dirty work for those ‘devils’ in DC without caring one iota about what you once called your Constitution or Bill of Rights. Why do I point out Chemtrails when we are talking about NDAA? Because I wanted to alert you to the “fact” that it is those in our own military, that are spraying the poisons into our skies and it is those who were once in the military that they want to run those FEMA camps. I don’t know where to find that ad in the news about working for these camps, but it does not allow just anyone wanting a job in one of those camps. They want x military special forces employed there. Something evil is coming to a city near you in this year of 2012. They don’t have total control yet. But after they get this new false flag 9/11 over with, 98% of American’s will give up all of their old Constitutional rights along with whatever was once in our old Bill of Right’s without a fight. This does not sound right to most people, but good luck and God bless. You will need both of them to make it through this mess they have already planed for America and the entire globe.
James | Jan 4, 2012 | Reply
Ron Paul 2012! Free yourselves and Restore the U.S. Constitution!
The Judge | Jan 4, 2012 | Reply