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but isn't true that the United States is a democratic country, in which has its citizens freedoms are enshrined in a written constitution. Is not fair to say that no terrorist attack however heinous or any natural disaster can undermine the principles put forward in that constitution, because the constitution is in reality just a powerful set of democratic ideals and objectives. Only its citizens and its elected representatives of the United States of America can undermine its constitution through apathy, corruption and tyranny. Why would armed US marines or armed US army personnel be deployed under these circumstances? Isn't the Presidents elective position to serve and protect the constitution. Is it not the elective Presidents duty to serve all its citizens and that the armed services are there to serve the President as Commander in Chief thereby serving its citizens. Here I think lies the problem you face. Conflicts between individuals and nations arises because the citizens and leaders of these nations have disregarded a set of well understood and well known international laws. It makes me sad that the US government has even difficulty implementing the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of Prisoners of War.


Without checks and balances (independent judiciary, legislative body, armed populace, etc.), a Constitution is nothing more than a pretty piece of paper with beautiful words written in an elegant hand. If you don't believe that I suggest you check out the Constitution of the former Soviet Union. A true thing of beauty--and totally worthless.

The President of the USA does have the power to declare a temporary state of emergency which can include the temporary suspension of some civil liberties. The keys words here are temporary and some. Surely the leaders in Scotland have some of the same sorts of powers? (Just out of curiousity, has there ever been a natural disaster in Scotland on the scale of, say, Katrina?)

As far as "well understood and well known international laws" go, one thing that the Constitution of the USA does do is trump those laws. And the USA does recognize and abide by the Geneva Convention. We simply don't apply it to non-POW scumbags like those currently residing in Gitmo. As far as I'm concerned they can rot there.