JWL.Freakwitch.net

Terrorizing Dissent

I've just been reading Terrorising Dissent: the Neoliberal 'Anti-terrorist' Strategy. In light of the BuShite's seizure and consolidation of power in the US this week, articles like this will become more and more important. From the abstract:

How does political protest become terrorism? Answer: whenever governments say that it is. They increasingly do so because capitalism has no alternative to neoliberal globalization and new enclosures. This agenda can be imposed only by terrorizing dissent -- in the name of protecting the public from terrorism, of course. In this way, 'counter-terrorism' is redefining or even replacing politics. As this article argues, effective resistance becomes inseparable from a struggle against new enclosures and for new commons.

This notion that anyone who is against the aggressive tactics of the neocons will be labelled a Terrorist™ is the sine qua non of understanding the BuShite worldview. "You're either with us, or you're with The Terrorists™" is the embodiment of this policy; it means that there can be no resistance or disagreement with BuShite politics. Look at the logic of the BuShites:

• They say that The Terrorists™ are Evil™, and need to be defeated, destroyed, and killed through violent means, up to and including outright warfare.
• They also say that if you are not with them, then you are with The Terrorists™.
• Therefore, if you disagree with the BuShites, you need to be defeated, destroyed, and killed through violent means, up to and including outright warfare.

This is simple logic, and it exposes the dangers of the BuShite policy in a most elementary way. Nothing is open to negotiation. Nothing is open to discussion. The BuShites will not admit to even the possibility that they are wrong, and they are in command of the largest military machine in the history of the planet. Does anyone else find this worrisome? Is it any wonder that rational, sane political dialogue in this country is all but impossible?

Apparently, the 59 million people who allegedly Voted™ for Bush don't see this. What concerns me is that, as I said, this is elementary logic. What does that say about the American people, or at least 59 million (about 20%...hardly the majority mandate claimed by the BuShites) of them? I'm not sure I can use "us," even though I am part of the American people. The American people are deeply divided right now, with tens of millions of people on each "side." If this were any country other than the richest, most comfortable country in the world, I believe we'd already be in a civil war.

Perhaps we are, with The BuShites shaping it as Good Americans™ vs. The Terrorists™.

posted by JWL at 1:17 PM |