a little nibble of debris sandwich before bed
Jim, the Professor of Religion, just wrote in to let me know that the ACLU has responded to John Ashcroft’s website, the one defending the Patriot Act and readying the ground for another attempt to get the Patriot Act II (now being marketed to us as the Victory Act) past the American people and though the houses of congress. (I havent mentioned it here before, but Ashcroft is in full-on PR mode these days, touring the American heartland reminding people of the necessity of the Patriot Act and making the case for increased governmental powers.)
Jim also wanted me to tell you about this article, the first in a series at Slate.com on the subject of the Patriot Act. Its a good primer on the history of the act, its implementation in the real world, and current challenges being posed by the states.
While were on the subject, heres a really good summation of Ted Koppels September 4 Nightline piece on the Patriot Act and what might be coming next. (Video clips are included.)
And, if that werent enough to get you worried before bedtime, the UK Guardian insinuates that the U.S. allowed 911 to happen so that it could act on the pre-911 plans drafted by Cheney and Wolfowitz to remake the Middle East, establish the U.S. as the dominant force in the world and gain access to significant oil reserves. Heres a quote from the rather unpleasant article:
And, here, if you can get over that last article, is a Washington Post piece on the Department of Homeland Defense and whats happened in the time since it was launched. Basically, the article asks, Does it have the funding and the support of the Executive branch that it needs to be successful in its mission? The answer, in case you’re wondering, is “no”.
Also in the Washington Post, is this story about al Queda and their decision as an organization to change strategic focus and concentrate on Iraq, hoping to be able to make a bigger short-term PR splash there than in the U.S Its like network executives planning out their sweeps week and where they think that they can gain the most ground in key demographics As a result, Middle Eastern radicals are running to Iraq like suburban parents after Tickle Me Elmos. (Which, might not be an altogether bad thing.)
Shit, that was all pretty depressing, wasnt it? Our civil rights are eroding, our elected officials are using this crisis to push through their policy wish lists, and al Queda is regrouping. Thank god a new TV season is gearing up. This was starting to get a bit too scary.
