Tidbit for Thought

Was walking to the grocery store the other day and passed a group of Immigrant Rights supporters. This group identified as Socialists and one of their banners stated, "No human is illegal." Now, call me crazy, but does it seem strange to anyone else that a group calling themselves Socialists would cite to some sort of "higher law" like they did? Certainly someone could be illegal under positive law, so their statement could only make sense if they believe in some higher moral law in which all men share equally as legal citizens. Yet don't most Socialists scorn the very idea of a higher law? Marx did say that religion is the "opiate of the masses." Perhaps the higher law is grounded in something else: rationality? But didn't a higher law grounded in rationality lead to the very burgeois system the Socialists eschewed? Perhaps I'm forgetting some basic tenet of Socialism or something, but I'm pretty sure there's some incongruity there. I would find any explanations or corrections helpful.

This Would Be a Problem...

From M. Drudge: "Patriot Act Catches a Baby-Food Thief - The case of Samih Jammal, convicted with the help of the Patriot Act and FISA wiretaps of fencing stolen baby formula, sits on the fine line between the government's terrorism-fighting role and its duty to protect citizen's rights. The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports the use of FISA warrants helped prosecuted Arizona grocery wholesaler Jammal, who was convicted of operating a baby formula theft ring.The JOURNAL notes that Jammal, a "U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, was never charged with any offense related to terrorism." Jammal "is appealing, contending that FISA evidence used against him was illegally obtained and crippled his defense. ... 'It's baby formula of mass destruction here,' he said at one pretrial hearing." Developing..."

Mr. Jammal has a point. Someone should save me from my continued slip and slide toward the left!