Jeremy & Decius wrote:
] Presidential assassination is the new pop.

I don't like the tune.

This seems like a very large step backwards for anything that even remotely qualifies as Good Government. There isn't any way you can come at an assassination where I think its a good idea. When we went for a decapitation strike at Saddam, it was because we were initiating all out war on the country, and there is a damn good reason it did not happen until then.

My recollection of history is somewhat foggy and I've not been successful in Googling a reference, so I leave this open for correction. In regard to the construction of our own constitution, I remember a tidbit about when the impeachment process was being discussed. There was some delegate opposed to having any kind of impeachment, based on the idea that a vote should be final. Franklin made a comment along the lines of "if there is no formal impeachment process, assassination will become the formal impeachment process", and views started to suddenly change. This is not exactly the message you want to send to your constituency, regardless of who your constituency is. Not to play the "America gets this right" card, but this does show the edge of some deep logic.

Assassinations should always be treated as attacks in the entire system, not a particular candidate/party/whatever. If the public over there, or anywhere for that matter, sees it as otherwise it should be viewed as a large rip starting to occur in the fabric of all western style democracies around the globe. We have elections and courts (and art, open media, open technology, open markets, etc) so we can effect change without killing people. An attack on the head of a governmental system, is well, an attack on all governed by the system. It does not constitute a revolution, removal of consent, or anything even remotely like that, at least not a non-violent one.

In the past month, we have seen both an assassination and a bombing attack targeted on transportation used to effect elections. I seriously hope someone is paying attention and seeing this for what it may be (is?). If what my gut is telling me about this situation is right, this is very scary.

Some of the number play taking place is also disturbing. As far as the near future goes, 4/11 is Easter. There was a story in FT about simultaneous "hacker attacks". There is the current Pakistan/Afghanistan border activity. There is another story in the AP today about Al'Q claiming to have suitcase nukes. From a conspiracy theory perspective, there is a lot to work with. If you can't come up with a good conspiracy theory, right now, at this point in time, you've never tried.. Its fun stuff. Brain exercise.

Interz0ne is coming up. Last year it was on the heels of the Iraq invasion. With all this looming doom, who knows, it might be on the heels of something this year as well. Here's to hoping its a caught Bin Laden, thwarted attack, or at least something that does not suck too badly. As far as I'm concerned, nothing really seems too remote or hard to imagine these days.

I love a good conspiracy theory. As always, I'm ready for anything, smiling, and enjoying the show for whatever its worth.

PLUS!! On top of everything else, it looks like 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW is bringing out its ace-in-the-hole reserved for battle term two. Bush - get ready for this - might not be an idiot. At least, that's what I think they are bringing out. Given what kind of response Dean's us-tour yelp got him at the right (or wrong) point in time, this just opens the stage for some people to get brutal.

And furthermore, taking Clinton into account, what's to say that a second term impeachment isn't going to become standard practice these days for all re-elected incumbents?