Philosophy of Liberty and DN!'s 2005 year in review.

Self Ownership: The Philosophy of Liberty (flash)

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Democracy Now!

2005 in Review: Power, Politics and Resistance

Part one of our special look back at 2005, including George W. Bush's inaugeration and protests against election fraud, the occupation of Iraq, the conviction of attorney Lynne Stewart, the appointment of John Bolton to the UN, the revelation of Deep Throat, the conviction of Edgar Ray Killen for killing the three civil rights workers in 1964, and much more...

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Bittorrent (temporary): Democracy Now! Friday, December 30, 2005 mp4 size: 438667748;  torrent infohash: 239f6cf52cad780009e00c9afc0f62b81c01b5d6

2005 in Review Pt. 2: Power, Politics and Resistance

Part two of our special look back at 2005, including the devastating Katrina hurricane, Cindy Sheehan & Camp Casey, the 50th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the political crackdown in Haiti, the Sept. 24 anti-war protest in Washington D.C., the genocide in Sudan, the death of Rosa Parks, the Israeli pullout of Gaza and much more

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Bittorrent (temporary): Democracy Now! Monday, January 2, 2006 mp4 size: 438690270;  torrent infohash: f3567667ac3dfc4f46ca7a582e8c2a0615b18b2f

Nude Emperor Alert

Bush is Above The Law

"2005 was the year that the president of the United States declared proudly that he had broken the law repeatedly and with full intention, that he had the power to do so whenever he wanted to, and that he would continue to do so whenever he determined it to be desirable. This declaration was met with basic approval from much of the beltway chattering classes, prominent libertarian bloggers, and just about every small government conservative.

The issue is simple: Bush has declared that one man has the right to make the law whenever, in his determination, national security warrants it. While even I can understand the necessity of broad executive powers in emergency situations, we aren't anywhere close to being in one of those. If Bush decides that personally shooting dissident bloggers or pesky journalists in the head is in fact necessary for national security, then no one can object. The fact that he has not, as far as we know, done any such thing does not matter in the slightest. By conferring dictatorial authority on himself Bush has declared that this is, in fact, a dictatorship even if he hasn't (yet) bothered using such authorities to the fullest of his claimed ability.

It's a mystery why Russert and the gang can giggle over their little roundtables, essentially ignoring what amounts to a military coup by our own president. He's asserted the authority of commander in chief over the entire country, and not just the military to which the constitution grants him such authority. Yes, we hope and generally assume that this temper tantrum by our boy king will pass in 3 years, that the his overreach will not have long lasting effects, that the crisis will pass.

2005 was the year the president declared he was the law, and few of our elite opinion makers and shapers bothered to notice, or care."

-Atrios