Monday, April 23, 2012

Bringing the war home

I thought the terrorists were supposed to do that to us?
Ten years of association have given "detainee" the synonymous meaning in America as those to whom no rights apply – especially in prison. It has been long in use in America, habituating us to link it with a condition in which random Muslims far away may be stripped by the American state of any rights. Now the term – with its associations of "those to whom anything may be done" – is being deployed systematically in the direction of … any old American citizen.
Where are we headed? Why? These recent laws criminalizing protest, and giving local police – who, recall, are now infused with DHS money, military hardware and personnel – powers to terrify and traumatize people who have not gone through due process or trial, are being set up to work in concert with a see-all-all-the-time surveillance state.
H/T to Claire.

1 comment:

Tam said...

Don't you understand? Bush told us that they hate us because of our freedoms.

Obviously we are trying since then to give them nothing left to hate us for.