Guest guest Posted August 18, 2004 Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 > W > Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:07:04 EDT > The Star Chamber Is Back > > http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=3314 > > > > August 17, 2004 > The Star Chamber Is Back > by Paul Craig Roberts > > Are George Bush and Tony Blair building democracy in > the Middle East or > police states at home? > > There is no sign of democracy in Iraq. Bush has > installed a puppet government > backed up by U.S. military force. America's > hamhanded occupation has resulted > in large civilian casualties, prison tortures and a > breakdown in public > order. > > Domestic police states, however, are in evidence in > the U.S. and UK. > > During the cold war, Western freedoms were favorably > compared to the Soviet > national identity card, which increased secret > police efficiency. > > Today, UK Home Secretary David Blunkett says > Englishmen are to be issued with > national identity cards. This prompted UK > Information Commissioner Richard > Thomas to remark that the UK is " sleepwalking into a > surveillance society. " > > In the U.S. there are plans for identity cards > complete with retina scans and > DNA information. > > The biggest threat to freedom, however, is the > full-scale assault on what > 18th century English jurist William Blackstone > called " the Rights of Englishmen " > and Americans know as civil liberties. > > President George Bush and his Attorney General, John > Ashcroft, have > resurrected the " Star Chamber, " made infamous by the > Stuart kings in the 17th century > for arbitrary, secret proceedings with no right of > appeal. > > Today, American citizens can be arrested and held in > secret indefinitely > without being charged. > > The Bush administration has sacrificed the Bill of > Rights to its " war on > terror. " As Elaine Cassel conclusively demonstrates > in her forthcoming book, The > War on Civil Liberties (Lawrence Hill Books), the > " war on terror " is in truth a > war on the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth > amendments to the > Constitution. > > Cassel shows that Bush and Ashcroft have mobilized > patriotism against the > Constitution. > > The coup, Cassel writes, " came when some staffer > dreamed up the acronym USA > PATRIOT (United and Strengthening America by > Providing Appropriate Tools > Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act > for a law that makes a mockery of > constitutional protections. To be against the > PATRIOT Act makes one > unpatriotic. " > > The PATRIOT Act defines terrorism so broadly that > any act of protest or civil > disobedience can be construed as " terrorism, " a > charge for which the > government can hold a person indefinitely. Thus, the > PATRIOT Act permits punishment > without conviction. > > If you think you still live in a free society, > consider: > > The PATRIOT Act overturns the attorney-client > privilege, and attorneys who > aggressively defend their clients can be indicted > for " aiding and abetting > terrorism. " > > Internet service providers who move to quash > government surveillance of their > customers can be charged with " obstructing justice. " > > > Parents who object to airport security personnel > dragging away a frightened > child to be searched can be arrested for > " obstructing a federal law enforcement > officer. " > > According to Cassel, regulations have been issued > that permit federal > prosecutors to override federal judges – a gross > breach of the separation of powers > and a classic tool of 20th century police states. > > Indeed, Cassel herself might be subject to arrest > " for aiding and abetting > terrorists. " Here is what Ashcroft told the Senate > Judiciary Committee: " To > those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of > lost liberty, my message is > this: your tactics only aid terrorists for they > erode our national unity and > diminish our resolve. " > > Cassel dryly notes that September 11 was caused by > intelligence failures, not > by civil liberties. Yet, the government's response > was to attack civil > liberties. > > All of the police state measures were waiting on the > shelf. September 11 was > an excuse to grab unconstitutional power – just as > the Reichstag fire was for > Hitler. > > Cassel says the fate of our free society rests with > the judiciary. In her > chapter, " The War in the Courts, " she assesses > whether courts are up to the > challenge. Some are and some are not. Ironically, it > is the conservative Republican > judges who go along with the police state measures. > So much for the old saw > that we need a Republican president to save us from > liberal judges. > > At the time Cassel's book went to press, the Supreme > Court had yet to rule > whether the government can indefinitely hold a > person without charging him and > bringing him to trial. > > After the Padilla and Hamdi decisions, Cassel > concludes that the Court did > not consent to being read out of the picture, but > did nothing effective to > defend civil liberties. Civil libertarian Harvey > Silverglate concurs. > > Where do matters stand? We are all in Abu Ghraib > now. If the government > declares you " an enemy combatant " or a " material > witness " you have no rights. The > government can hold you forever without charges or > until you admit to some > offense in order to escape from isolation and from > psychological and perhaps > physical torture. > > I would rather take my chances with terrorists. > > Cassel discusses specific cases, including cases of > " guilt by association. " > She names names and holds accountable the brown > shirts in our government. She > describes absurd regulations under which innocent > American citizens can be > convicted of terrorism. > > In a chapter on grass roots resistance, Cassel notes > that more than 250 > counties and municipalities in 28 states, plus two > entire states, representing 43 > million Americans, have passed resolutions > criticizing the PATRIOT Act or > forbidding local law enforcement from cooperating > with the Bush administration's > attack on the U.S. Constitution. > > After the horrors Cassel describes, it is refreshing > that there are still 43 > million Americans who can recognize tyranny when > they see it. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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