Archive for the 'Civil liberties' Category

America’s Police State coming along just nicely

Published
by
Christiaan
on 2 September, 2008
in Activism, Civil liberties, Human rights, Law, Repression and United States
. 0 Comments

Glenn Greenwald reports on the appalling events in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where the Republicans have been holding their National Convention over the weekend. It appears the Federal Government has been orchestrating fascist-like police raids across the city on opposition groups in attempt to shut them up.

Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets. 

Massive police raids on suspected protesters in Minneapolis | Sat, 30 Aug 2008
Federal government involved in raids on protesters | Sun, 31 Aug 2008

The Land of the Free, where the Federal Government actively recruits local residents to infiltrate and inform on groups who oppose the government, where the police steal people’s vehicles and leave them stranded on the side of the road to shut them up, where major radio presenters are arrested by thugs in riot gear for having the audacity to ask a policeman a question, and where young women get pepper sprayed in the face for holding a flower up to the police as they walk by her.

Scenes from St. Paul: Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman arrested | Mon, 1 Sep 2008

But, frankly, none of this quasi-fascism compares to apparent lack of outrage from ordinary Americans.

There’s a poem made for these people:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

—Pastor Martin Niemöller.

External links:

Update, 7 Sep 2008: external link to ‘RNC: Media Intimidation Condemned’ added.

Spineless politicians drafting spineless law

Published
by
Christiaan
on 21 July, 2008
in Aotearoa New Zealand, Civil liberties, Human rights, Law and Politics
. 0 Comments

To draft and support loathsome law like this surely you have to be either extremely ignorant of history or have sympathies for fascism.

Some politicians clearly have no qualms showing off how spineless they are by using fear to trade our freedoms and make it look like they’re actually doing something.

No Right Turn on the Immigration Bill, currently making it’s way through NZ parliament:

This bill has to be defeated. You can start by signing the petition here.

Check out some of the comments too.

Labour not laughing at David Davis now

Published
by
Christiaan
on 15 June, 2008
in Britain, Civil liberties, Law and Politics
. 0 Comments

It’s the unrepresentative nature of single-winner electoral systems, like Britain’s first past the post, that leads one into sometimes supporting people you wouldn’t otherwise support.

And it’s with this in mind that I find myself supporting conservative MP David Davis, who has embarked on a campaign against the “relentless erosion of civil liberties in Britain”.

Photo of David Davis with constituency supporters in Willerby, East Yorkshire.

Check out Gaby Hinsliff’s take on events to date.

I can at least take solace in the fact that I don’t also find myself supporting Murdoch’s authoritarian tabloid, The Sun, which merrily supports New Labour in its project to turn Britain in a police state. The Sun is even said to be looking to mount a candidate against Davis. Hinsliff writes:

The Sun is also said to have considered approaching Rachel North, a survivor of the 7/7 bombings, who has campaigned for justice for the victims, but North said she admired Davis’s stand: ‘I am a big fan of civil liberties and freedom and democracy, all things that terrorists are not keen on, and I’m pleased that a senior politician has campaigned about this.’

I’m still trying to work out how I can donate online to Davis’ campaign.

External links

Update, 27 June 2008: Davis’ campaign website is up and running. You can donate to his campaign here.