Not just theory anymore, an internal Justice Dept. report cites numerous civil rights violations under the Patriot Act. It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it?
Category: Civil Liberties
Welcome to the Panopticon.
“This is coming whether we like it or not…It’s not how do we stop the tidal wave. It’s how do we manage it.” The Village Voice laments the creation of Combat Zones That See, or CTS. Smile, you’ll be on camera.
A Dixie Chick’s Revenge.
Clear Channel is sued by Roxanne Cordonier, a South Carolina DJ and the 2002 state Radio Personality of the Year, for firing her for her anti-war stance. The suit also alleges that Cordonier “was forced to participate in a pro-war rally.” I’ll have to keep an eye on this one.
Paging Judge Danforth.
“Two senators – one a conservative Republican, the other a moderate Democrat – who spoke with Ashcroft…were surprised at his lack of command of the basic issues. Whether it was lack of interest or lack of intellectual firepower, the Attorney General seemed not to appreciate the complexities of the constitutional issues he was dealing with.” Nat Hentoff cites Stephen Brill’s After to depict amateur hour in the Ashcroft Justice Department.
Enemies in our midst.
“If I felt that my neighbor of 10 years was doing fundraising for a group, I’d turn ’em in…[the FBI will] just investigate them, and if you’re wrong, you’re wrong. And if you’re right, that’s a big thing!” In other words, report your neighbor! What’s the harm? Suspicion breeds confidence! The Voice‘s James Ridgeway notes the proliferation of Cat Eyes, a neighborhood “civil defense” group encouraging citizens to look out for suspicious behavior. Underneath the spreading chestnut tree…
Man of the Hour.
The Post profiles Anthony Romero, the current head of the ACLU. Intriguing to note that the organization has grown by 33% (100,000 new members) in the past eighteen months. Even if I disagree strongly with the ACLU on campaign finance, I think most of the time they’re doing God’s work. So that membership stat may end up being Ashcroft’s only positive legacy.
Assuming a False Mantle.
Robert Kennedy? I knew Robert Kennedy, Robert Kennedy was my father, and Attorney General Ashcroft, you are no Robert Kennedy.
The Ministry of Information at Work.
In related news, how are your federal anti-terrorist tax dollars being spent? Thanks to Ashcroft and Tom DeLay, to interdict Texas Democrats, not terrorists. Apparently, DeLay and his Texas cronies brought the Feds in to spy on their political enemies (during their redistricting sojourn to Oklahoma), and then engaged in a shredding-fest the day federal involvement came to light. I suppose with Ashcroft at the helm it was only a matter of time before our terrorist defense shield started operating this way.
More! More!
Like a junkie looking for another fix, Ashcroft takes time away from putting down gay pride events to beg Congress for increased powers in fighting terrorism. If the death penalty doesn’t even work as a deterrent in “normal” crime, why would it stop terrorists?
We only lock up the bad people.
The Justice Department gives its most detailed accounting yet of how its used its post-9/11 powers in the war on terror, although the vagueness of the report does little to satisfy congressional critics and civil liberties advocates. On a loosely related note, it must be some weird cosmic irony that the spokesperson for the Ashcroft Justice Dept. is named Comstock.